Chronicles of the Sword
by miano53
Summary: After a failed attempt to kill the King of Evil, the bearer of Courage is killed, leaving no one to stop Ganondorf's wrath and rule. Nearly a thousand years later, the legend returns to challenge the status quo. But at what cost?
1. Prologue

_Author's Note_

_Well, since I wasn't completely satisfied with how the beginning of the original draft of this story started, I am going to start completely over with it._

_The premise of the story is still the same, but I will add on more scenes, characters and other stuff to make the fic more sensible._

_I will also change how certain characters in the original draft behaved and whatnot to be a bit more realistic._

_So, hopefully the fic will be much better than the previous version. That's the aim anyway._

_As usual, I own nothing and this is a fanfiction, meaning that some things will follow canon and others won't. Most of this story will try to follow canon, despite the fact that it's technically an AU._

_-miano53_

* * *

_Prologue_

_After delivering the final blow, the Hero, Link, was exhausted. The crown princess of Hyrule, Zelda, congratulated him and the duo remembered Midna's sacrifice. Before Link could say anything, light appeared behind him and both saw the Light Spirits. _

_"Huh?" Link said, looking in awe._

_He then saw a figure that looked like the Twilight Princess, Midna. The hero ran, hoping that it was her. When he had arrived, he saw something that he least expected. A rather tall, pale-skinned, red haired and ruby-eyed woman stood up. Robes of black and green were scantily on her body and tattoos covered the exposed parts of her body._

"_What? Say something! Am I so beautiful that you've no words left?" Midna, now in her true form, asked._

_Link smiled and the reunion was a happy one. Until…_

_The Hero suddenly collapsed. The sword of the sages was in his chest and glowed menacingly. After looking around, Princess Zelda Midna saw that Ganondorf was gone. The Master Sword, powerless, lied on the ground where he was originally standing._

"_You need to work on your aim," a dark voice said._

_Ganondorf reappeared, standing where the unconscious Link was._

"_How…? Why are you still alive?" Princess Zelda yelled, enraged._

"_The Master Sword should've killed you! It's the Blade of Evil's Bane!" Midna added._

"_He missed my heart by that much. But to more important matters," Ganondorf smirked._

_The Evil King grabbed Link and he could sense the Sacred Power within him resonating, trying to revive him. _

_"No you don't," he said._

_The Evil One summoned a storm of darkness and threw the dying Hero into it. Ganondorf turned his gaze to Princesses Zelda and Midna and began to stride slowly towards them. The two princesses backed away, turned and started running when he reappeared in front of them. _

_In a desperate attempt to flee, Midna grabbed Princess Zelda and the two disappeared in black pixels, Twili magic. When the battlefield was empty, Ganondorf turned his attention to Hyrule Castle Town. _

"_Well, they'll follow me like the helpless little lambs they are…since their princess is nowhere to be found," he said, disappearing._

_He then turned to the Master Sword and saw the sword's appearance had changed. The hilt had changed to a sapphire color and the blade was shortened. Small flickers of light came from it and tried to intensify as the Evil King walked closer to it. _

_Ganondorf took off his cape and carefully picked up the sword, not wanting to get injured. To his surprise, the flickering glows died._

_The man smiled and walked towards Hyrule Castle Town to reconquer it._

* * *

_Well, this prologue should make more sense than the last one. It'll be explained later what happened to the Master Sword and why Ganondorf didn't die like he was supposed to._


	2. Chapter One: Beginnings of Destiny

"_But then, when all hope had died, and the hour of doom seemed at hand... a young boy clothed in green appeared as if from nowhere. Wielding the blade of evil's bane, he sealed the dark one away and gave the land light."_

_-Story of the First Great Cataclysm_

Chapter One: Beginnings of Destiny

"_What in the…?" the Zora Prince, Ralis, said._

_His entourage of loyal Zoras stared at the scene in a dark and rainy North Hyrule Field. Originally headed for Hyrule Castle Town to pledge their "loyalty" to the new king, Ganondorf Dragmire, the Zoras spotted a man in tattered, green clothing stumbled around near the eastern road leading to the Eldin Province. What scared the Zoras was the massive chest wound he had. _

_Prince Ralis, using a Hawkeye device, looked at the man more carefully and gasped. The man was none other than…Link. The Zora was sure it was him, but was very confused as he was presumed dead for over a year._

_Link spotted him and stumbled towards him. The Zoras, suspicious, surrounded their prince and Prince Ralis asked, "W-What are you doing? It's Link."_

"_Sir, that's not him! Look at the glowing spot on his chest and how pale he is! He looks like Death!" one of his guards told him._

_Prince Ralis looked at Link again and saw a glowing black and red crystal in the massive chest wound he had. The man's skin was deathly pale and unhealed wounds covered his body._

_The Zora prince began to back away, along with his entourage. The apparently undead man caught up with them and Prince Ralis gave a weak smile. _

"_R-Ralis?" the man asked in a weak voice._

"_L-Link? Is…Is that really you?" Prince Ralis asked._

_The man had a lost gaze and the prince knew something was very wrong. The Zoras aimed their spears at him and Link held his head in pain. He then cried out, scaring the Zora prince. _

_He then looked at Prince Ralis with hatred in his now red eyes. The Zora guards charged at him and attacked to protect their prince. Link attacked, using powerful magic previously unknown to him._

_Prince Ralis headed for the river as his guards were being massacred by what he thought was his friend. He jumped in, swimming ever upwards. As he did, he heard a horrifying scream come from the apparent undead Hero…_

* * *

_Snowpeak, January 12, 893 N.H.T. (New Hylian Time)…_

Within a large ranching compound in the middle of the Snowpeak Mountain Range was a small family of four, working and cleaning around the small mansion. The blonde haired head of the house, a 34-year-old Hylian woman named Lydia Hanar, ordered a twelve-year-old girl to clean faster as she cleaned the floors of the vestibule.

The young blonde looked at her and yelled, "Auntie, I'm cleaning as fast as I can!"

Lydia huffed and told her, "Aryll, that noble is going to arrive at any minute."

Aryll sighed and muttered, "If Link was here, we could probably clean faster…"

"Well, he's not. He's with Epona, gathering wood for the fireplaces and food for the kitchen," someone said.

The two saw an older gentleman of 42 years walk into the room. He looked at Lydia with tired, sapphire eyes and said, "Sister, I'm sure that Link is coming back as quickly as possible. And I'm sure Lord DiSatana will not complain about the wood amount in his room because there's plenty."

"Smith, he's a noble from the capital. Those capital folk always complain when things don't go their way," Lydia told her brother.

"Well, I'm sure that Link will come back with the wood," Smith said, running a hand in his salt and pepper colored hair.

'I hope so,' Lydia thought.

* * *

_Snowpeak, alpine forest…_

Link Hanar, the 15-year-old son of Lydia Hanar, had dozed off while sitting on a tree stump. He had meant to take a small break after cutting down a slightly large tree and making twenty small logs with it. The logs were placed on a wagon and his horse, a Hyrulian Clydesdale named Epona, stood near him, eating the small shrubbery she could find in the snow. A small breeze blew through the forest, making the air much colder. Due to the sudden chill, Link fell off the stump and woke up.

"Huh? Huh? Huh? Huh?" he said, thinking a monster had attacked.

Epona neighed as if laughing at him and he said, "Shut up…I was just trying to get some shut eye."

The horse had a look on her face that said, "Uh huh. You dozed off."

"You're mean. I can't even get in a good nap before that noble comes…" Link whined.

Noticing the time via a small pocket watch, Link saw that the time was four in the afternoon. He started to panic as he knew that the visitor from the capital was coming around four…and his mother had expected him back with everything she requested over an hour ago.

Epona neighed and looked at him saying, "You know you're late."

"I know. We're going now," Link told his horse.

He then strapped the wagon to Epona's back and pulled her back home.

* * *

_Outside the Hanar compound…_

The visitor from the capital had arrived at the house and he was quite irritated. His ash blonde hair covered most of his face and makeup caked it. His clothing of diamond patterned robes and a cape indicated his noble house of DiSatana. The many jewelry pieces he wore were a capital fashion, indicating the wealth he had. A scowl was on his face as he and his bodyguards were freezing in the snow.

"Out of all p-people, why would he ch-choose me t-to go to t-this…f-frozen hellhole? We c-could've used t-the airship instead of d-driving in a f-frozen horse-drawn c-carriage!" the noble asked, shivering.

"Sir, we c-can't, remember? Sky stones d-do not work here as t-the magic in th-these mountains p-prevent such a thing," one of the bodyguards said to him, also shivering along with his poor companions.

"I knew that! Just let me complain!" the noble yelled.

* * *

Inside, the head of the Schautten-Hanar clan rushed, getting the noble's bedroom ready, which was in the east wing of the compound. When the front door knocked, Lydia's heart started racing as she was quite nervous. Opening the door, she expected the noble, but was surprised to see Link.

"Get in here!" she ordered, pulling him in.

"I got the wo…" Link was about to say.

"Hurry up and put the wood in the noble's suite," Lydia told him.

Link did and another knock came from the door. Lydia opened it and said, "Um…You must be…"

"Ghirahim. _Lord _Ghirahim DiSantana to you. I trust that the wing is ready for me," Lord Ghirahim said.

"Yes. It is. I shall lead you to it," Lydia said.

The two headed for the east wing, with its five rooms, where the suite was located. Once they were gone, Aryll and Smith saw the noble and had their comments.

"Dad? Why…does he look like that? I thought that was a lady," Aryll said.

"It's the fashion of the capital. I'm sure he's considered a pioneer," Smith told his daughter.

'Pioneer? I don't get it…' Aryll thought.

* * *

With Lydia, Ghirahim and his guards looked around and saw that the place had banners of the Hylian Knights strewn along the walls. The family's shield was also on the walls, indicating that the family served the empire as knights. The shield, with the images of the Triforce and a red bird, was of ancient design, also telling the visiting group that the family had served the country as knights for many years.

After looking around, the noble asked, "How did you acquire this compound?"

"Um, well, my late husband, Sir Sigmund Hanar, he acquired this compound from His Majesty after his outstanding service during the war fifteen years ago. When he died from his injuries a year ago, I turned the place into a bed and breakfast for visiting nobles to make ends meet," Lydia explained.

The group entered the suite and saw that Link was putting wood in the fireplace. He jumped as he didn't notice them and said, "Oh. Um, hi?"

"Who is he?" Ghirahim asked.

"My son, Link," Lydia said.

'"Link"?' the noble thought.

"Okay, I got the fire going. Just put more wood into the fireplace when the fire goes down," Link told the visitors.

Not wanting to anger the visitors, Lydia grabbed Link and said, "I hope your stay is a good one. If you need anything, just pull the handle near the door."

The two left, leaving the group alone. The guards looked at their lord and saw he was distracted during the conversation.

"Milord, are you alright?" one of them asked.

"Yes. I'm fine, Jessica," Ghirahim told her.

The guards headed for their separate rooms and Ghirahim muttered, "Is that boy…No, he can't be. The Hero couldn't have returned…If he has then…Everything we've worked for is for naught. I will not allow for that to happen."

* * *

_That night, kitchen…_

Link sat down at the table with Aryll, peeling potatoes and cutting small carrots for their dinner. A short, old woman stood at the stove and said, "Well, I guess we'll have potato and carrot soup for dinner…since those capital folk ate most of the meat."

"And Link didn't go to the village for food," Aryll added.

"I forgot. I'm sorry," Link told her.

"Granny Matilde, why are we giving them all our food? I don't like potatoes…" Aryll whined.

The sixty year old woman looked at her grandchildren and said, "Well, back in my day, we had to eat roots for breakfast, leaves for lunch and tree bark for dinner. You should thank the gods that you have something to eat."

"Uh…Why were you guys eating that?" Link asked.

"The war, son! The war!" Granny Matilde yelled.

"Which one?" Aryll asked.

"The war of 853! When Hyrule fought Labrynna for control of their seas! That's why Labrynna keeps attacking us and the war didn't end! They said it did, but it didn't!" Granny Matilde yelled, now louder.

Smith entered the room and shushed his mother.

"Why?" Granny Matilde yelled.

"Do you want them to hear you? You can get executed for talking in such a manner," Smith said.

"I'm old! I can say what I want!" Granny Matilde told him.

The group went back to their work and Smith joined them. As Link kept peeling the vegetables, he noticed that Aryll was staring at him.

"What?" he asked.

"Well…I was thinking…This is the eighth year since…y'know…" Aryll told her cousin.

"Oh…You're still thinking about the time I fell?" Link asked.

"Link, you nearly died," Smith said.

"You fell off that cliff when Uncle Sigmund tried to take you to the village. I know you don't remember, but dark monsters attacked you two and you were chased off the cliff," Aryll explained.

Link looked a bit confused as he truly didn't remember the event when he was seven. He only remembered leaving the mansion with his father and waking up in a hospital bed in the village. According to his family, he was in a coma for two weeks.

"And after you woke up, you kept asking about someone named Ilia. And…" Granny Matilde told him.

"You starting speaking gibberish when we said no one knew who that was. Then you attacked us. Sigmund stopped you, but you kept talking," Smith added.

"And you began screaming…It was scary," Aryll muttered.

'I still don't know why that happened…Why did I do that?' Link thought.

He looked at his birthmark on his left hand. The three triangles were dark brown on his hand and looked odd on his rather light skin.

Link sighed and Smith said, "Don't worry. If anything like that was to happen again, we'll help you like before."

'I hope so…' Link thought.

* * *

"_Link! What did you do? You hurt Epona jumping fences again, didn't you?" a teen girl with a blonde cowlick yelled._

"_I…Ili…I didn't mean…!" Link found himself yelling back._

_The teen ignored him and led his horse away into a forest area. He ran after her and entered the forest. After not finding the girl and his horse, Link stopped and found himself lost in the dark woods._

"_I…Ili…" he tried to say._

"_Link? What are you doing here?" someone asked._

_A green haired maiden appeared and Link tried to say her name. "Sar…Sali…"_

"_If you don't leave here, you'll be lost," the girl told him._

_A dark mist appeared behind her and engulfed the area. Link tried to run when the miasma appeared in front of him. As the thick miasma surrounded him, Link saw a shadowy figure that looked like him. Before he could say anything, the dark figure pulled out a sword and lunged, stabbing him in the chest…_

* * *

"WAH!" Link screamed, waking up and falling out of bed.

He held his head in pain and breathed in haggard breaths. The door to his room opened and Aryll rushed to his side. She held him and said, "It's okay. It's okay."

Link began crying and Aryll tried harder to calm him.

"It's okay…Shh…It's okay," Aryll whispered.

"What happened?" Smith asked.

"I think he had a nightmare again," Aryll told him.

Lydia entered the room and saw Link's condition. "Leave us…" she said to the others.

Smith and Aryll left, heading back into their rooms. Lydia touched Link and his reaction was expected.

He jumped back, yelling, "Don't touch me! Don't touch!"

"Why not? I am trying to calm you," Lydia said to him calmly.

"Wh-where am I? Who are you?" Link asked.

Lydia looked down at his birthmark and saw it glow a dim red color.

"I'm your mother, remember?" Lydia told him.

"I…I…My mother died years ago. She…" Link said, looking around the room frantically.

Fighting back tears, Lydia asked, "Who was your mother?"

"I…I don't…" Link muttered.

He fainted, falling headfirst onto the floor. The glow on his birthmark died and Lydia said, "It happened again…"

"Huh…Why am I on the floor?" Link asked, waking up.

Lydia's expression told him everything. "It…happened again?" he asked.

"Yes. Now go back to sleep. You have a lot of work to do in the morning," Lydia said, helping him back to bed.

* * *

_The next morning, mountain village…_

Link, with Epona and a wagon, headed for the mountain village to get supplies. Once there, Link passed through the village's gate with ease and headed for the marketplace. The village was rather large as snow covered, brick homes lined the streets leading to the village's square. The people of the area did daily chores and ignored Link's presence.

The marketplace was marked by a large clock tower that was seen throughout the whole village. The blacksmith, food stalls and the village's bank were also located there. For some reason, a crowd had gathered around the clock tower.

The mayor of the village, a rotund, tall, bald man named Bo Trypheus, stood next to Lord DiSatana. The noble's bodyguards surrounded the area and each was armed with swords and pistols. Everyone was silent as Mayor Bo requested it.

"Our esteemed ruler has ordered for everyone to give more of their wages for the war effort," Mayor Bo said.

"WHAT? Why?" the crowd yelled.

Link looked around and saw that several members of the crowd's shadows were shaping themselves into something tangible. Before they could fully manifest, Lord Ghirahim silenced the crowd.

"People, do you wish for more suffering to occur?" he said.

"We already are suffering!" someone yelled.

"Yes, but His Majesty wishes to ease it. If the nation of Labrynna would stop their attacks against Hyrule, the emperor will not have any need to take whatever you have. If this war ends and Labrynna stop their attacks, we will be able to send aid to the people of this land," Ghirahim said, trying to persuade the group.

"But then Labrynna will be a part of this evil nation!" another person yelled.

"Is it evil to wish for the peoples of this world to be under one banner? A banner that wishes to give to others the bounty Hyrule has to offer? If it is, then I don't know what isn't," Ghirahim said.

The group muttered amongst themselves, taking what he said into consideration. To Link's surprise, the crowd agreed to join the capital's endeavors and were willing to pay the higher taxes in exchange for aid.

No longer interested in politics, Link left, leading Epona to a small stall near the back alleys. He was then greeted by an old man. The man, wearing robes of yellow and orange, looked at the teen and said, "Ah, Link. Are you here to pick up the parcels?"

"Yes, Mister Sahasrahla. My mom said that you have everything that noble guy asked for," Link told him.

"Yes. Several choice cuts of meat, vegetables a plenty and the ice wine he requested," Sahasrahla said, reading off of a list.

The old man showed Link the items and the young man was about to grab them when he said, "Wait. You still have to pay."

"How much?" Link asked.

"The caravans and their travel arrangements…the new taxes…the rising costs of food…Your total will be about…1,200 rupees," Sahasrahla replied, using a small abacus.

"What? C-can't you put it on the tab?" Link asked.

"Your family's tab is at 5,000 rupees as of right now. I can't just keep giving you all food for free. So, no money, no food," Sahasrahla told him.

Link sighed and began heading towards Epona in a sadden state.

"Wait, wait, wait…Come back here," Sahasrahla said.

The teen headed back, sighing all the while.

"Well, I'll let you get the parcels if you quickly do this one thing for me," Sahasrahla told him.

"What?" Link asked.

"Go to the village library and look for a green book with an eye and a teardrop on its cover. It isn't in the usual places like the history or language section. It's hidden to keep many prying eyes from it," the old man ordered.

"So if it's hidden to keep people from seeing it, why are you asking me to get it?" Link asked him.

"Because it originally belonged to me. I need it back as I am trying to translate something for a noble in Zora's Domain," Sahasrahla told him.

Wanting to hurry up and get the parcels from the man, Link agreed to the task. Sahasrahla reassured him that Epona and the wagon was safe. The teen left heading for the library.

* * *

_Mountain Village, Library, noon…_

Link, now rather cold and standing outside of the library, was about to go in when he sensed someone was behind him. He turned to see that Aryll had followed him. The twelve-year-old had her arms folded and was glaring at him.

"I thought you were going to get the food," she said.

"I couldn't. Sahasrahla said that we owe him 5,000 rupees," Link said.

"Then why are you here?" Aryll asked.

"Sahasrahla said we can have the food if I get this book for him," Link replied.

Aryll was going to say something when the sounds of someone coming came from behind. Link grabbed his cousin and the two hid behind snow-covered bushes. For some reason, Lord DiSatana and his group had arrived at the library. Ghirahim looked at them and said, "I would like for you all to stay here while I find the book."

"Milord, what are we to do with that book? It's nothing but gibberish," one of the guards asked.

"Yes, but if a certain person was to find it…" Ghirahim muttered.

He then entered the place and the guards stood in front. Aryll turned to her cousin and asked, "So, how will we get inside?"

Link was about to answer her when his birthmark began glowing. Light came from his hands and Link felt his consciousness fade. When he came to, he saw a book in his hands.

"Link? Are you okay?" Aryll asked.

"What…?" Link said in a daze.

"You started speaking that gibberish again and your eyes were glowing," Aryll told him.

The sound of someone coming in their direction was heard and the two ran, heading back to the village.

* * *

_Sahasrahla's shop, Mountain Village…_

Arriving at the shop breathless, Link and Aryll saw Sahasrahla outside his shop, speaking with Epona. The old man gave the horse apples and was speaking to her about old Hyrulean legends.

"And that's why your owners named you Epona. You are named after the Hero of Time's gallant steed," Sahasrahla told the horse.

Epona looked confused and neighed in happiness when her master returned. Link petted her and asked, "Did you miss me?"

"Did you get the book?" Sahasrahla inquired.

"Um…I think so…" Link told him, handing the old man the green book.

Sahasrahla opened it and said, "Yes. This is it."

"What is it?" Aryll asked.

The old man looked around in suspicion and said, "Not here."

He led them into his home behind the stall and closed the door. The old man walked around the small living room as if he was checking for something. When he was done, Sahasrahla motioned for the two to sit on the nearby couch. He threw wood into the room's fireplace and lit the candles on the small center table. His reclining chair was across from the couch and the older man sat there.

He placed the book on the table, in between the candles, and explained, "This is no ordinary book. This is the legendary Book of Mudora. According to legend, the ancient Hero and his colleagues wrote this book to translate the ancient Hylian tongue, the language spoken during the Era of the Sky many tens of thousands of years ago. Only those of the old royal family, descendants of the sages and the chosen Hero are the only ones able to translate the ancient words in this book."

"So, why did you want it?" Aryll asked.

"Well, a noble requested it from me as they needed ancient texts translated, but…" Sahasrahla said.

"But what?" Link asked.

"But I do not feel safe having the book in my possession. I will give the book to you as well as the parcels Dame Lydia requested," Sahasrahla said.

"If you don't feel safe with it, why would you give it to us? I don't want to get into trouble," Aryll questioned.

Link took the book without a word and headed outside. There, he found that the wagon was already packed with the items. Aryll hopped into the wagon and the two headed back to the compound.

* * *

_Well, here's the new revamped chapter one. Instead of moving rather quickly like the first draft, this version will take more time in character development. So, please review._

_-miano53_


	3. Chapter Two: The Blue-Eyed Beast

_"__O brave youth... In the land covered in twilight, where people roam as spirits, you were transformed into a blue-eyed beast... That was a sign... It was a sign that the powers of the chosen one rest within you... and that they are awakening__."_

_-Faron, Light Spirit_

Chapter Two: The Blue-Eyed Beast

"_I'm telling you! Link's still alive!" Prince Ralis yelled._

_He spoke to the deposed Hyrulian queen, Zelda Hyrule. The Zora prince met with her in a hidden alcove in Lanayru Province. She was flanked by loyal Hyrulian Knights and the Resistance group originally stationed in Hyrule Castle Town. Princess Midna and her loyal Twili following, able to exist outside of the Twilight Realm due to the darkness becoming stagnant in the world of light, stood next to the Hyrulian Knights and looked skeptical._

"_Link's dead. We saw him get stabbed in the chest and thrown into a dark storm. There's no way he could've survived that," Princess Midna spat._

"_But!" Prince Ralis said._

"_Our Hero died during the battle. There's no way for him to return as he had nothing to revive hi…" Zelda started._

"_But he had this glowing crystal in his chest and he was alive!" Prince Ralis told her, interrupting._

"_Dark…cry…Oh no…" Princess Midna muttered._

_The group looked at her and she said, "That's…the curse that Zant casted on him. It…I guess it managed to revive his body, but the Link we know is gone."_

"_Then why did he respond to me when he saw me?" Prince Ralis asked._

"_That crystal may have recorded all of Link's memories after we decided to keep it. I kept it in his shadow and it allowed him to turn into a wolf at will, but…it had other side effects too. I didn't tell him…I really should've…" Princess Midna explained._

"_What…side effects, hon?" the half-Gerudo, Telma, asked._

"_He would become more aggressive than usual and had a somewhat sadistic glee when he fought enemies afterwards. But since he had the Master Sword, those effects were curbed," Princess Midna explained._

_Prince Ralis was silent, not knowing that the Hero had dealt with that._

'_So…Link really is…?' Prince Ralis thought._

"_Yes. He died. I felt his life leave him when the Dark King threw him into that storm…" Zelda told him._

_The group fell silent._

"_Are we going to fight back? We have to save the world in his place!" Rusl said._

"_No. Not yet. We must gain allies from all the races of Hyrule…including the Gerudo," Zelda told him._

_Prince Ralis said nothing, still in shock that the Hero was truly dead…_

* * *

_Two days later, Hanar compound, Aryll's room, 10 p.m.…_

Aryll sat on her bed, wondering why her cousin didn't wake up. Despite the fact the family had a guest at the compound, the doctor was called and he had checked on Link. The physician tried what he could, but the teen refused to wake. The man left after two days, stating that he would have to call a better physician from the capital.

Holding a small seagull doll, Aryll asked herself, "Why is he asleep again? It's just like last time…eight years ago…"

Wanting to help her cousin, the girl headed for Link's room down the hall in the west wing. When she was at the door, a loud thud was heard and Link's pained cries were heard. Aryll was about to go in and help when she remembered Lydia's strict orders not to enter. More crashing and loud bumps were heard from behind the door and Aryll fought the urge to enter and help.

Another crash prompted Aryll to enter and she saw her cousin out of the bed. He looked around the room in a frenzy and grabbed a nearby lamp. Screaming several words in an unknown language and animalistic snarling, the teen threw the lamp on a nearby wall, breaking it.

Terrified in the sudden change in her cousin, Aryll began to back out of the room when Link turned to see her. He lunged at her and pinned her to the wall in the hall. Aryll looked at his face as he began choking her and saw his appearance was feral looking. Link's face was twisted in a snarl and his usual blue eyes were now a deep red.

"L-Link…please…" Aryll managed to say.

Link looked at his cousin, sniffed her and began growling like a beast. "L-Link…I'm not a bad guy. I'm your cousin," Aryll told him.

The now animalistic teen threw Aryll towards her doorway. He quickly rushed into his room and jumped out of a nearby window. Once he was gone, Smith, Lydia and Granny Matilde had arrived and asked the girl about the screaming. Instead of replying, Aryll began crying loudly.

* * *

_The next morning…_

As Lydia had gone out searching for the missing Link, Aryll took her post in giving Lord DiSatana his meals. That morning, Aryll, holding a tray of a few breakfast items, headed for the noble's room. There, the guards allowed her inside and she saw the noble sitting on a recliner.

"Good morning," she told him.

"You have everything I requested?" Ghirahim asked.

"Yes. Your coffee, eggs and toast. The eggs were cooked soft just like you requested with a little salt…" Aryll said, unenthused.

She placed it on a table next to him and turned to leave when Ghirahim noticed something.

"What is that on your neck?" he asked.

Aryll quickly placed a hand on her bruised neck and said, "N-Nothing."

"So, the mountain people abuse their children?" Ghirahim muttered.

"I don't get abused! I…!" Aryll yelled.

The noble looked at her and smirked. "Never mind. Enjoy your breakfast, milord," Aryll told him.

She was going to leave again when she suddenly stopped. Sighing, the girl faced an eating Ghirahim and asked, "Um…Can I ask a question?"

"What is it? If it's about my appearance, I'm not…" Ghirahim said.

"It's not about that. My dad said it's fashionable in the capital to…look like that," Aryll said.

"So, what do you need?" the noble asked.

"Um…My cousin…Something's wrong…and I…" Aryll muttered.

"Your cousin hurt you? Well, that explains all the screaming I heard last night. Could've sworn it was a monster attacking…." Ghirahim told her, sipping some of his coffee.

Aryll shook her head and asked, "Do you know how to use magic?"

Lord DiSatana looked up at the girl and looked her directly in the eye. "What do you need to know of magic?" he asked in a serious tone.

"I…I want to help him, but…" Aryll said.

Ghirahim put his coffee cup down and told her, "Are you sure you want to learn magic? Magic comes with a price…literally."

"What is the cost? I'm willing to pay it," Aryll told him.

The lord smirked and said, "Magic is a gift from the gods, but the price you must pay varies."

"Tell me," Aryll said, sitting on the floor.

With a grin, Ghirahim told her, "There are many types, child. But each type takes away an inner essence within almost every creature. That essence is magic. Magic…is tied to stamina. Use too much at once and you'll be likely to die."

"So? So? What do you have to do?" Aryll asked.

"I was getting to that. The differences in magic vary with the different tribes of this world. Hylians have innate abilities in light-based magic. Gorons have innate earth and fire magic. Zoras have water magic. The Watawara, also known as the Wind Tribe, have innate wind-based abilities. The Sheikah have innate shadow abilities. The Twili have similar magical abilities. The Gerudo have spirit and humans…Well, humans usually have the basics of light magic down, but no more, no less," Ghirahim explained.

"So? Everyone can use magic?" Aryll asked.

"No. It takes years of proper training to use it. But, there are exceptions," the noble told her.

"What are they?" Aryll asked.

"I could tell you. But, I'm sure that the words I say will be lost on you," Ghirahim said.

"Can you tell me? Please?" Aryll pleaded.

The noble grinned and said, "Unlike everyone else, those who are chosen by the gods can use powerful magic from birth."

"Huh?" Aryll said, confused.

"The chosen are those who have pieces of the Holy Relic within them, giving them the innate ability to use powerful magic. Supposedly, they are marked at birth with a triangle shape on their hands…" Ghirahim told her.

'Wait…Link has one on his left hand…Then that means…' Aryll thought.

"Based on your lost expression, you didn't understand anything I said. But, that's enough for today," Ghirahim said, getting back to his breakfast.

"But! I thought you were going to teach me…" Aryll said.

"Whenever did I say that? Besides, you're not willing to learn what I've mastered," Ghirahim told her.

Disappointed, Aryll left the room, heading back to her room in the west wing. She slammed the door and screamed, plopping onto her bed face first. The girl began crying as she felt as if she was tricked.

'Why would he tell me all that just to tell me that he wasn't going to teach me? I just want to help Link…' Aryll thought, sobbing loudly.

"A-Ar...yll…" someone said.

Aryll jumped in fright and screamed, "AAH! I HATE EVERYBODY AND EVERYTHING!"

She screamed again when she saw that Link was in her room, hiding in a corner. He sat on the floor, nearly in a fetal position. The birthmark on his hand began to glow a golden color and his eyes were amber.

"Aryll…" he mumbled.

Aryll, rightfully suspicious, got off her bed and slowly walked towards her cousin. "Link?" she asked.

Link said something in gibberish, leaving the girl disappointed. 'He's not there anymore…is he?' she thought to herself.

"The book…" he said in the modern language.

"What?" Aryll said.

She yelped when he suddenly jumped up and grabbed her shoulders. "Where is it? I need it!" he yelled.

"W-Why?" Aryll asked.

"Where is it? I can't let him have it!" Link yelled, nearly screaming.

"Who? Link, what's wrong? Maybe I can help," Aryll said, trying to stay calm.

"Him. The one here…Why is he here?" Link said, now shaking Aryll.

"Stop! Link, I said stop!" Aryll screamed.

Link suddenly stopped and looked at his cousin. As if he was disappointed, he released Aryll and fell to the ground. Sitting on the floor, he muttered, "I failed…"

"What?" Aryll said.

"He has it…I failed…" Link muttered, punching the floor in disappointment.

Aryll sat down in front of him and asked, "What did you fail in?"

"I couldn't save them…I…failed…" Link said, nearly in tears.

"I don't know what you failed in, but I know you need to snap out of it. You're dreaming," Aryll said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Link's reaction was once again violent and he grabbed her arm with the intent of breaking it.

"Where is the book?" he asked in a voice that wasn't his own.

"Ow! The only book I know is the one on your desk in your room!" Aryll cried.

Link released her and brandished a sword from thin air. 'Where did he get that?' Aryll thought.

"Lead me to it," Link ordered, still not sounding like himself.

Terrified at her cousin's sudden change, Aryll led Link to his room, with him having a sword on her back. When the two arrived, Link rushed towards his desk as he saw the book hadn't been touched. He grabbed the book and Aryll ran to her room.

She locked the door and pulled out a chest from under her bed. Within it was a small, blue buckler with the image of the family's crest and a short sword. The girl quickly armed herself with the weapons and began packing a few items in a small satchel. After putting in her wallet, a small bed sheet, a few clothes and small odd bottles with a blue substance, Aryll opened up her room's window and looked down.

The snow on the ground indicated it would break her fall, but the twelve-year-old was unsure.

"I am...kinda high up. I don't like this, but I don't wanna stay either if Link's like that…" Aryll thought aloud.

Loud banging was heard coming from her door and the girl jumped, screaming as she did. To her surprise, the snow did break her fall, softening it and preventing any broken bones. Not wanting to get caught by her frenzied cousin, Aryll ran, heading to an area of Snowpeak she called her hideaway.

* * *

_Aryll's Hideaway, southern area of Snowpeak, 5 p.m.…_

Hours after running away, Aryll entered a small cave near a frozen river north of the entrance to the Zora's Domain. Unlike the outside, the interior of the cavern was rather warm. Four rooms made up the interior and had small lanterns light the area. The floors, covered in ice and dotted with large metallic storage boxes, were slippery and had ancient weapons scattered about. Opened metallic gates served as doors to each room.

Aryll headed for the last room where an opened treasure chest was and sat down. She brought out her bed sheet and covered herself with it. The girl slept on the floor and recuperated as she wished to leave later that night.

Just as she went into a deep sleep, a loud crash was heard. Aryll jumped up and saw that Link was standing in the doorway. He still had a feral look in his still amber eyes and he held the Book of Mudora with a vice grip. Aryll jumped up and brandished her weapons.

Once again, Link said something in gibberish, confusing Aryll.

"I don't understand you! And I'm not a bad guy! I'm your cousin! But, I'll fight if you're going to attack me!" Aryll yelled.

Link dropped to the ground, holding his head in pain and dropping the book. Aryll quickly grabbed the tome and packed it away in her satchel along with her bed sheet. Once done, she ran, heading for the exit. Horrifically, her progress was impeded by a sudden appearance of a rock wall, sealing her inside.

"Oh no! Oh crap! Oh crud!" was all she could scream.

A loud scream, followed by bestial growling, filled the cavern. Aryll slowly turned to see her cousin's body writhe in pain. Aryll, terrified, tried to find a way out. She tried kicking at the door, slamming her shield into it and even stomping the ground in the hopes of finding a door opening switch. Nothing worked.

She screamed as she turned to see her cousin's body slowly and painfully change into a bestial shape. With one final roar, the feral teen had changed into a wolf, ripping apart whatever humanity he had. The beast fainted, falling to the ground in exhaustion. Aryll slowly walked up to the unconscious beast and lightly kicked it.

The beast didn't stir. Aryll tried again and still didn't get a reaction.

'Is it…dead..?' she thought.

Not wanting to get attacked, Aryll dragged the beast to the fourth room of the cavern. She placed it near the chest and ran out. The girl, remembering that the storage boxes served as part of a switch block puzzle, pushed one, revealing the switch underneath. The gates closed, locking the beast inside.

Aryll immediately rushed back to the blocked entrance and resumed trying to open it. Hours after many attempts, the girl fell to the ground in defeat. She burst into tears in frustration. Moments after doing so, she cried herself to sleep.

* * *

A whine interrupted her sleep.

Aryll awoke, only to scream at what she saw. The beast was no longer locked in the fourth room. She ran over to it and saw a giant gaping hole behind the gate.

Her heart raced when she felt a presence behind her. The girl readied her sword and shield and turned. She screamed when she saw that the wolf was behind her.

"AAH! AAAH! Whoa! AAAH! Get up on the box! The box!" Aryll screamed, climbing onto a nearby box.

The wolf looked at her, confused. It tried to climb up when Aryll screamed even louder.

"WAAH! Leave me alone, monster!" Aryll screamed.

Sadness flashed in the beast's odd blue eyes. It backed away from her, not wanting to prompt any more screams.

Aryll looked at its reaction and muttered, "It…didn't want to kill me? I thought…I thought Wolfos were killers…Because the lycans in the village, if they lost control of their shadows…then they turn into Wolfos. But, Link's not a lycan…I think. Uncle Sigmund was one…"

The wolf lied on the floor in a sphinx style. It placed its head on the floor and looked up at Aryll. It yawned and kept staring at the girl.

"Uh…Y-You're not going to attack me?" Aryll asked.

The wolf shook its head, shocking Aryll. 'It understood me?' Aryll thought.

She climbed down the box, only to fall. Before she could hit the ground, she felt something under her back. The wolf had broken her fall using its back.

It snarled, scaring Aryll. She quickly got up and readied herself for a fight. The wolf, however, shook itself and walked over to blocked entrance. In a puppy-like manner, it scratched the wall, trying to open it.

"I tried. It won't open," Aryll said.

The wolf ran over to her, scaring her once more and tugged at her pants with its teeth. "Okay, okay. I'll try again," Aryll said, being dragged by the beast.

The creature released her and scratched the blockage. "We can't do anything. We're locked in," Aryll told it.

Ignoring her, the wolf sat down and began howling an odd tune. The blockage disappeared and the wolf tugged at Aryll's leg once more.

"I'm not going out there if you're going to kill me and eat me," Aryll told it.

The wolf looked confused again and whined. It went into a submissive position and whined louder. Aryll looked at its blue eyes even closer and gasped as she had an epiphany.

"Link? It's…you, right?" Aryll asked.

The wolf nodded and Aryll nearly fainted. Link, now a wolf, pushed his cousin out of the cavern and into the sunlight.

Aryll looked around and saw the sun shining on the snow. 'Huh. How long were we in there?' she thought.

Wolf Link sniffed the area and looked to what looked like a small patch of horse grass.

"Horse grass? Why is it growing here? It's in the middle of winter," Aryll said.

The wolf sat at the patch and began howling the same tune he would whistle to call Epona. To Aryll's surprise, Epona had found them, running over to the two happily. What surprised her even more was that Epona wasn't terrified of Link in his wolf state.

"Epona? What are you doing here?" Aryll asked, petting the horse.

The horse neighed and snorted in Aryll's face. "Hey!" the girl yelled.

Aryll looked at the wolf and the horse and began to wonder what to do. 'Well, we could go back home…' she thought.

She asked Link if he wanted to return home, to which he snarled. 'Okay, going home isn't an option,' the girl thought.

"Then where are we going to go?" Aryll asked.

The wolf looked in the direction of Zora's Domain. "Okay, we're going to see the Zoras. But first," Aryll said.

She pulled out a green bandana with the image of a seagull on it. The girl tied it around the wolf's neck and said, "This'll make sure that the Zora's don't think you're a Wolfos."

Link made an annoyed snarl and Aryll told him, "Hey. It's better that you'll be thought of as my dog than as an evil monster."

The wolf looked dejected and Aryll climbed onto Epona. Link bolted off, heading in the direction of Zora's Domain. Epona neighed and began to race the wolf, with Aryll screaming bloody murder and holding onto the reigns for dear life.

* * *

_Okay. The rewrite of Chapter 2 is down…52 more to go. Wow, this is going to be a long process. Anyway, review?_

_-miano53_


	4. Chapter Three: Awakening Powers

_Well, after hearing a complaint about confusion between the quotes and thinking dialog, I thought to do this first._

"…_." = is an actual spoken quote._

'…' _followed by the character's name or pronoun and the word "thought" = is the character thinking._

_And anything in italics will indicate a flashback or the location_

_Anything in all caps emphasizes a word or sentence. So, with that said, enjoy the next chapter._

_-miano53_

* * *

_"Look at your awakened form. The green tunic that is your garb once belonged to the ancient hero chosen by the gods. His power is yours. His is the true power that slept within you."_

_-Faron, ancient light spirit_

Chapter Three: Awakening Powers

"_What?" Link said, looking up at an unconscious maiden that looked oddly familiar._

"_It's Princess Zel…" a female imp said, floating next to him._

"_Welcome to my castle," someone said._

"_So you're…Gan…" the imp said._

_The man, a Gerudo of tall stature, stood up and laughed._

"_I've been dying to meet you," the imp told him with an evil smirk._

"_Your people have long amused me, Mid…To defy the gods with such petty magic, only to be cast aside…How very pathetic," the Gerudo said._

_He laughed again, saying, "Pathetic as they were, though, they served me well. Their anguish was my nourishment. Their hatred bled across the void and awakened me. I drew deep of it and grew strong again. Your people have some skill, to be sure, but they lack true power. The kind of absolute power that those chosen by the gods wield."_

_The Gerudo raised his right hand, revealing a crest that looked similar to Link's. "He who wields such power would make a suitable king for this world, don't you think?" he asked._

_The imp laughed, "Ha! Such conceit. But, if you are one of the chosen wielders of power, as you claim…I will risk everything to deny you!"_

_The Gerudo man smirked, saying, "Shadow has been moved by light, it seems…How amusing. Very well…Deny me then! Yes, try to deny me! You and your little friend!"_

_He disappeared in black pixels, entering the unconscious maiden. The imp tried to stop him, only to be blasted out of the room by a shockwave. _

"_Mid…!" Link found himself yelling as he ran after her._

_The entrance to the room was blocked and Link saw that the maiden was possessed by the Gerudo male. _

"_Both of you, faithless fools who would dare to take up arms against the king of light and shadow…So you choose. And so you shall feel my wrath!" the possessed maiden yelled._

* * *

Link, still a wolf, jolted awake finding himself in a hotel room. Remembering where he was, he thought, 'We're in Zora's Domain…Right…It's the seventeenth of January.'

He looked around and took noticed of the room. The room, with only two beds, a table and a fireplace, was rather small compared to other rooms in the hotel. Aryll was asleep in her bed and her things were scattered on the table, one of them being the Book of Mudora.

The wolf headed for the table and grabbed the book with his teeth. To his dismay, he couldn't open the book as a wolf.

'I remember opening it and then…nothing…I don't remember what happened until I saw Aryll in her hideaway…What happened?' Link thought.

The book opened and the pages began flipping on its own. The wolf's reaction was expected. He backed away and whined.

'What the heck was that? What…was that?' Link thought as the pages stopped flipping.

He walked back to the book and looked onto the book's pages. The symbols on its pages were foreign and were nothing like the modern language. The images on the pages were that of a monster and of a man wearing green. The symbols began changing to that of the modern language and Link was able to read it.

'"The power of light cuts through shadows and is one of the Hero's basic abilities. It can also restore the original shape of those transformed by shadow",' Link read.

A jolt of pain shot through his body and the wolf yelped loudly. That woke up Aryll. He saw that she looked at him in fear as his entire body lit up like a lantern.

"Link!" she screamed.

When the light was at its brightest, the pain subsided. The next thing Link knew, he was standing and Aryll was staring at him.

"L-Link…What…?" Aryll said.

Link looked at himself and gasped. His old clothes from the mountain were replaced by clothes of green. His long-sleeved shirt was a light green and a green, padded vest covered it. Khaki-colored pants covered his legs and brown boots were on his feet. A green winter cap was on his head and brown, open-fingered gloves on his hands. A broadsword and shield was on his back, causing for further shock.

"H-How did I…?" Link said.

He looked at Aryll and the girl looked terrified. "Uh…I'm not going to attack. So, don't worry," Link said.

Aryll rushed to him and hugged him. Link reciprocated the action and the two reconciled.

* * *

_Later…_

The village of the Zoras, also known as Zora's Domain, was a large town. Waterfalls and pools spanned most of the village, providing underwater homes for the aquatic Zoras. Cliffs jutted out of the rock walls, creating roads used by the humans that also lived there. Small caves were used as homes for humans that had moved to the domain, to the chagrin of some Zoras.

The first floor of the large water cavern had two paths that led to Snowpeak and the fields of Hyrule. Near the paths were stables where humans who traveled by caravan kept their horses. On the outskirts of the village, and within the confines of Zora's River, was an airport where nobles from the capital traveled by private airships.

The largest of the waterfalls in the domain led to the throne room. Zora guards swam around it and kept the village safe from troublemakers. After exploring the town and getting weird looks from the townsfolk, Link led Aryll to the base of the waterfall. The two stared at the giant waterway and wondered how they could to go up.

"Oh. Do you need help?" someone asked.

Link and Aryll saw a female Zora of pinkish hue. She looked no older than fourteen and had fine jewelry covering her neck and arms. A long pink, trailing dress covered her person and a charm with three sapphires was on the abdomen.

Link stared at the Zora and could've sworn she looked familiar. Uncomfortable with his gaze, the Zora asked, "Why are you staring at me? Is there something on my face?"

"Uh…N-No. Um…You look…" Link asked.

"Uh…Like a shark from the back? Yeah, I get that a lot…I am a Zora, you know," the Zora teen said.

"Well, since he didn't do it, I'm Aryll. This is Link," Aryll said, introducing the two.

"Oh. Well, you've made an acquaintance with Ruto, Princess of the Zoras of Hyrule," the Zora, Ruto, said.

Link kept staring and Ruto said, "What? I know I'm pretty. So, try not to stare at me too much."

"It's not that…" Link muttered.

"Then what is it? Do you need to see my father? My mother? My brother?" Ruto asked.

"Um, we were just sightseeing," Aryll replied.

"Then you need to greet yourself to my father. All visitors to the village are required to see the royal family. Since you've met me, you've already have access to us," Ruto told her.

Link looked at the waterfall and something told him that he had been in the area before. Pain flashed through his head and he grabbed it in pain. Aryll gasped and Link told her, "I'm fine."

"Still…" she said.

"Don't worry. I'm fine," Link said again to reassure her.

The two Hylians asked Ruto for her assistance in entering the throne room. Ruto smiled and said, "Alright. Just a second."

She took her first step and the two teens could've sworn she was going to fall into the water. Instead, a bluish hue came from her feet and she began walking on water. Link and Aryll were shocked and the Zora royal ordered for them to follow her.

"Uh…" Link said.

"We can't…" Aryll added.

"Don't worry. I'm using my magic to make the water hold you. Just get on the water," Ruto told them.

Aryll refused, but Link wanted to see if what the Zora said was true. He placed on foot on the waters and was surprised that it could hold him. He place his other foot on it and stood up straight. The waters held him and Link motioned for Aryll to follow.

She looked at the water and back at her cousin. "I-I can't…" she said.

"Yes you can. Just jump on it," Link told her.

Aryll closed her eyes and ran onto the water. She held onto Link and noticed they were both standing on the water.

"Wow!" she exclaimed.

Ruto rolled her eyes and she lifted her hands. The blue hue traveled to her hands and the waters around them began to rise. The spout traveled upward, heading for the top of the domain's main waterfall.

After arriving, the three traveled on a stone path that led to the throne room. The chamber, with its deep pools of water and small waterfalls, had four thrones situated in the back and were lit by natural sunlight coming from a hole in the roof. The walls were dotted with ancient fossils and behind the throne was a locked door that led to gods-know-where.

Ruto introduced the two Hylians to the court and an elderly Zora stood up. Wearing robes of blue and wrinkles covering most of his turquoise skin, the elder looked at Link with tired eyes. He held his staff tightly, shaking it as he spoke.

"Ah…We've waited so long for your return," he said.

"Wait, what?" Link asked.

"Uh…Grandpa, did you take your pills recently?" Ruto asked.

A young Zora male teen, wearing similar robes to that of the elder and jewelry like Ruto, walked towards him and asked, "Grandpa Japas, you're hallucinating again."

"I'm not, Ralis! And I ain't crazy, Ruto!" Elder Japas yelled.

The Zora teens sighed, indicating that the oddly behaving elder usually hallucinated. A third Zora, in similar attired to Ruto and with more defined feminine features, stood from her throne and said, "Ralis, Ruto, please take Grandfather to his room."

"But Mother!" Ralis said.

"The last time we did, Grandpa Japas punched Ralis in the face," Ruto added.

"And he spat on his caretakers," Ralis told her.

"And he bit one of them. I thought we weren't cannibals, but Grandpa…" Ruto said.

"That's enough. Ralis, Ruto, take your grandfather into his room," the last of the Zora royals, a rather slender Zora male in robes of red and blue, ordered.

"Father!" the two said.

The older Zora glared at the two and the Zora teens led him out of the throne room. The remaining Zora royals looked at Link and Aryll. Link stared back, wondering why the two looked familiar.

'I've never stepped foot outside of the mountains. So why…?' he thought.

"Sorry for that odd…event that you have witnessed. I am King Zora De Bon XXIII and this is my wife, Queen Laruto. So, you two are from the mountains. What brings you here to our domain, human?" King Zora asked.

Link looked at Aryll and she stared back.

"Um…We're just traveling, sir," Aryll replied.

"Ah, then how has your stay been?" King Zora asked.

"Fine. We were just wondering…"Link said.

"Aren't Zoras more hostile to humans?" Aryll asked.

Queen Laruto and the court chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Aryll asked.

"You're confusing us with the river Zoras of Holodrum. Those…monsters aren't fit to be called Zoras. Whatever you've heard was most likely from a person that visited that country. The river Zoras there has no leader. So, they do whatever and attack anyone, even the sea Zoras, on sight," Queen Laruto explained.

Link immediately felt a jolt of pain surging through his head. The images of his being attacked along a riverfront by a hostile Zora crossed his mind. The Zora shot what looked like a fireball at his person and he was hit in the chest by it. He saw himself falling into the water, gasping for air and struggling to stay afloat.

When the images died, Link fainted, falling headfirst onto the ground. King Zora and the others panicked, yelling for medics.

* * *

"_Hey! Why did you leave me behind? You're a man, aren't you!" a little Zora girl asked._

"_Uh…No. I'm only nine, Ru…" a younger Link said to her._

"_Hmmph! Just carry me like we agreed," the Zora ordered._

"_We didn't agree on anything!" Link yelled._

"_Well, you want the Zora's Sapphire, right?" the Zora asked._

_Link nodded and the girl yelled, "Then do what I tell you!"_

* * *

"I don't want to carry you!" Link yelled in his sleep.

He opened his eyes and found himself in a small room filled with beach décor. Sand covered the floor and a small stream of water flowed around the circumference. Torches kept the room illuminated and the only human furniture was the bed Link slept in. Next to it were his shield and sword.

Confused as to what happened, Link muttered, "What happened? I remember talking to that King Zora guy…"

A knock at the door took the teen out of his thoughts. It opened to reveal a terrified Aryll. She came in and had Ruto and Ralis tagging along.

His cousin hugged him tightly, asking, "Are you okay? You fainted again."

"I'm fine. But…Where am I?" Link asked.

"You're in the infirmary. Father thought you would be better here," Ralis replied.

"And…we heard that you hit your head on the ground pretty hard," Ruto added.

"Our doctors couldn't find anything. Even the human doctors…" Ralis said.

"We could send him to the capital. The best doctors are…" Ruto told him.

Link found himself yelling, "No doctors! Especially not from the capital!"

"Why not?" the three asked.

Link, puzzled as to why he yelled, said nothing.

"Well, just get your rest. We'll check on you in the morning," Ruto said, leading the others out of the room.

After the door closed, Link tried to get some sleep, but thoughts kept running through his head. He wondered why he gained a habit of fainting. He also wondered why he would say things that didn't sound like something he would normally say. He pondered why the Zora royal family looked familiar, despite his never setting foot outside of the mountains.

'What is going on? Ever since I looked into that book…No. Ever since I fell that day, nothing's been the same. I'm tired all the time. I constantly get migraines and every time I have a nightmare, somebody always ends up hurt when I wake up,' Link thought.

Feeling tired, the teen closed his eyes to get some sleep.

* * *

"_OY! Link!" a Gerudo male yelled._

"_Huh? What…is that?" Link asked._

_What he saw was a massive contraption that looked like a cannon on wheels. The machine was connected to a series of rails that encircled a large, circular pit. A pile of giant bombs was near what looked like a temple and the Gerudo looked proud of himself._

"_Groo…What is this for? And where did it come from?" Link asked._

"_Oh this? This is my masterpiece, the…nator! This'll help ya the next time that giant baddie thinks to rear its ugly head!" the Gerudo proclaimed._

_Link looked at it and had his doubts. _

"_I can tell that you doubt it, but put it to the test! I'll prove to ya that I'm not useless! And I'll help protect Zel…with this!" the Gerudo told him._

_Link shrugged, happy that he had help the next time a large monster appeared. He then felt another surge of pain, collapsing to the ground and holding his head. The world around him disappeared into darkness. _

_He then saw what looked like a knight in green clothes. His face was shrouded in mist and a sword was in his left hand. The phantom figure held up the sword at a dark beast and stood in front of a shining female figure in white clothes, as if to protect them._

_The beast attacked and the images faded. Another set of images appeared and Link saw another knight in similar green clothes stand in front of a dark castle floating above a pool of lava. As with the previous knight, his face was shrouded in mist and he carried a broadsword with a purple handle. Powerful magic pulsated from his being and a rainbow bridge appeared, connecting the castle to land._

_The knight rushed into the fortress, the images fading as he did. The last of the images was that of a knight in dark green clothes looking up at what was Hyrule Castle. He held a female imp wearing a mask in his arms and the two entered the castle._

* * *

Link woke up again, this time to a searing pain in his chest. He gasped for air and took in large gulps of it. He began to calm himself when he heard a voice cry out in the dimly lit room.

"So, you are seeing some of the images of who you were," someone said.

Link turned to his left and screamed, falling out of the bed as he did. Ruto and Ralis' grandfather, Japas, was in the room. He looked at the teen with his tired eyes and said, "We've waited 900 years for your return, sir."

"What? Why are you in here? And were you watching me sleep?" Link asked.

"No. I just came in. But that's not the point! You've returned to us! You've returned to save us all!" Grandpa Japas yelled.

Link stared at him and asked, "What…are you talking about?"

"You still don't remember…A 900 year sleep could do that…Maybe I should…" Elder Japas muttered.

The door to the room swung open and Ruto and Ralis rushed in with their Zora guards.

"Grandpa, get back to your room or we'll take you back!" Ruto ordered.

"You in what army?" Elder Japas yelled, holding his staff as a weapon.

The Zora guards began their march towards him and the elder yelled, "Wait! WAIT! I can prove he's him!"

He said something in an unknown language. What shocked everyone was that Link replied fluently in the same language. The guards halted their advance and stared. Ruto and Ralis looked at each other and then at their grandfather and Link with mouths agape.

'How did I…?' Link thought.

A severe migraine pounded Link's head, causing him to feel dizzy and he blacked out. When the teen came to, he found himself standing over injured Zora guards. He looked at Ruto, Ralis and Elder Japas and saw them cowering near the door.

"Uh…I think we have all the proof we need, right Grandpa?" Ruto said, hiding behind her grandfather.

Elder Japas nodded slowly and was used by Ruto as a shield. Ralis stood in front of the two, holding a spear at Link.

"Don't come any closer!" he yelled.

"What…? How did…?" Link said, looking around at the injured.

"You suddenly went berserk, attacking everyone with magic. All because Grandpa just had to say whatever he said to you!" Ruto explained, glaring at her grandfather.

"I had to. It needs to wake up or else we're doomed! Doomed, I tell ya!" Elder Japas yelled.

"But it seems that we'll be doomed if it wakes and attacks us again!" Ralis roared at his grandfather.

"Better than the Demon King destroying the world!" Elder Japas roared back.

Horrified at what he did, Link bolted out of the room, leaving the Zoras behind.

* * *

_Zora's Domain, Throne Room, 3 a.m.…_

After running from the infirmary and entering the throne room, Link saw the place was empty. The guards who were supposed to be guarding the throne room had left for the night and the pool was void of any Zoras. Thinking it was a good place to stop and hide for a while, Link sat behind a pillar with thoughts of guilt running through his mind.

'What…did he say to me? I have no idea what that was, but…it's like I do,' Link thought.

"_You have to awaken, Hero."_

"That's what he said? 'Hero'? I'm not that. I think he just used magic on me and…" Link muttered.

"I don't like this place…It's creepy," someone said.

Link stood up and silently peeked from behind the column. He saw two people, one being a Gerudo male teen and the other, a pale-skinned teen girl with long red hair, enter the area. The Gerudo wore clothing that suggested he was from Hyrule's interior, not from a desert region. The female wore black clothes that were scantily clad on her and her red eyes darted around the room.

"Groose, will you shut up?" she whispered to her companion.

Groose looked at her and said, "Well, it wasn't my idea to go to the Zora's home and take their prized possession from them. Last I checked you agreed to that noble's request, Midna."

"Shush!" Midna said, trying to keep him quiet.

The two rushed behind the throne and began looking for something on the wall. Midna found what looked like a button and pressed it. That unlocked the door. As if they heard something, the pair rushed inside.

Link, after witnessing the event, chased after them, hoping that he could find redemption in saving the Zoras' precious item.

* * *

_Zora's Domain, Hidden Lake, 3:13 a.m.…_

The hidden area of Zora's Domain was a large lake that had an altar situated near the entrance to the village. On the east and west sides of the lake were two dark caves. Near the altar was a sign that said, "Do not disturb Lord Jabun as decreed by King Zora XXIII."

Link saw Midna and Groose standing on the altar, looking around for something.

"Uh…Didn't she say that the pearl's in that Jabun guy?" Groose asked.

"Or was it that he held it…?" Midna asked.

"Heck, like I know. Let's just cut our losses and go home," Groose said.

"But we can't. If we do…they'll…" Midna told him.

"I know. But we can at least tell that lady we tried," Groose said.

Another migraine ravaged Link's head.

'Not again…' he thought, groaning as he held his head.

He collapsed, falling into the water. As he felt the world grow dark, his birthmark began to glow a bright gold.

"Why?" he muttered, passing out.

* * *

_So, Link doesn't know he's the hero and doesn't seem willing, kinda like the last draft. Just like before, he's not a willing hero and I believe a reaction like this will be more realistic. So, anyway, review?_


	5. Chapter Four: The Pair of Thieves

"_The Twili are a tribe of powerful shadow mages that long ago tried to take over the Sacred Realm. Since their rediscovery and attempted assimilation into Hyrulean society, many have settled into Hyrulean cities and towns. Due to racism on part of Hylians, most Twili turned to thievery as most work is not available to them."_

_-an investigative reporter in the capital_

Chapter Four: The Pair of Thieves

"_So what are we going to do when we see him?" Prince Ralis asked Princess Midna._

_Midna, still not taking the title of "queen", looked at the Zora prince and replied with, "I have to get close enough to the wraith to rip out the shadow crystal."_

"_So, what'll happen if it doesn't work and he attacks?" the knight, Ashei, asked._

"_Then we have to run. The wraith's too powerful as it knows everything Link used to…and then some," Midna told her._

"_And then some?" Auru asked._

"_He knows powerful magic. I mean…REALLY powerful magic. I've never seen a human able to use Water magic like he could," Prince Ralis replied._

"_So, should we keep our magic at the ready?" Shad asked._

_Midna nodded and Rusl said, "No matter what we thought of Link…We have to remember that he's dead and that…thing is masquerading around as him. So, do not hold back if it attacks."_

"_But if he's too strong, we must flee," Auru added._

_The group agreed to and looked in the darkened cave at Lake Hylia. Apparently, the wraith was hiding out in the old mine and was attacking passerby. They could feel darkness spilling forth and Midna knew it was coming from the shadow crystal. _

_With trepidation, the group entered the dark cavern. As they carefully treaded in the cave using the light from the lanterns, Midna noticed that markings were on the walls. The markings vaguely looked like words, but the Twili couldn't make it out._

_Once in a circular chamber deemed safe by Rusl, Midna grabbed a lantern and saw the words were "sword", "mine", and "mission". She figured that the crystal was trying to force the deceased Hero's body to remember what happened before._

_The sound of metal scrapping was heard and the group readied themselves for what could've been their final fight. Midna silently prayed to the gods of the Twilight Realm to help her… _

* * *

_Zora's Domain, Hidden Lake, 3:15 a.m.…_

Midna, after hearing a splash, turned to see that someone had followed them. She pulled Groose to the side and the two saw that a Hylian male had fainted. His face was in the water and the teen was leery to approach him.

"Who is that?" Groose asked.

"Like I should know!" Midna nearly yelled.

The two, holding each other, walked towards the unconscious teen and saw he didn't stir. Believing he was dead, Groose kicked him, horrifying Midna.

"Don't do that!" she yelled.

"Why not? I gotta see if he's dead or not," Groose said.

He lifted his leg and kicked again, only to have the unconscious grab his ankle. The teen's grip began crushing his ankle, causing for Groose to scream and curse.

"Ow! Dang it! Ow! OW! Let go! Let go! OW!" Groose screamed, a slew of curses leaving his mouth.

The formerly unconscious teen got up while still holding onto Groose's right ankle. With his eyes still closed, he threw the Gerudo towards the altar. Terrified, Midna summoned a whip made of shadow and swung at her attacker.

The teen grabbed the whip and began swinging the shadow wielder around with her weapon. He released her and the whip, sending the teen flying into a recovering Groose. The two looked up and saw that the teen had opened his eyes. They were terrified as his eyes were garnet and were glowing with ferocity.

"What the heck…? What did we ever do to him?" Groose asked, nearly crying.

"I told you not to kick him, but no. Mister I-Know-What-I'm-Doing knows everything!" Midna yelled.

"Hey! I didn't agree to that Veran lady's request!" Groose yelled back.

"Well, at least I wasn't the one who bumped into her running from guards!" Midna bellowed.

"At least I'm a chivalrous thief!" Groose roared.

"At least I'm not a cocky, impudent windbag who screams the instant something jumps out at him!" Midna yelled.

The two screamed as they saw that their attacker was standing over them, holding a sword in his left hand. Chanting something in a mysterious idiom, he lifted it up in the air and was about to attack when a loud splash was heard. He looked passed the altar, ignoring the two.

'He's not going to attack us?' Midna thought.

"Midna…I think we should get out of here…" Groose muttered.

"Good idea…" Midna whispered.

The two slowly tiptoed away as they saw their attacker standing on the altar. Just before they could reach the entrance, swords of light blocked their path.

"Fu…" Groose started to say.

"Groose…" Midna warned.

"I was going to say 'Fudge'…" Groose told her.

Turning back to the altar, the pair saw their assailant looking up at a giant angular fish. The creature began to speak and the assailant spoke to him in the unknown language.

"Isn't that…?" Groose asked.

"Lord Jabun. He has the pearl. But, how are we going to get it? That guy's going to attack us if we go near the altar…and I'm sure the fish will too," Midna said.

Knowing what would happen if they failed to return to their client without the pearl, Midna and Groose slowly approached the altar, in fear and trembling. When they were close, they heard their attacker say, "That's far enough."

The two froze in their tracks and their attacker turned to face them. His eyes had changed to a golden color and were still glowing. A faint aura came from his person and the sword he held had disappeared.

Lord Jabun spoke again and the teen replied again, confusing the two.

"Er, did you get that?" Groose asked.

"No," Midna replied.

"Why do you want the pearl?" the teen asked.

"Why do you want to know?" Midna asked him.

"Midna, I don't think we should piss this guy off," Groose told her.

"Shh!" Midna said.

"Mid…na…?" the teen said, as if confused.

"Yeah. That's my name. Midna Notti…And I don't think we've met before," Midna told him.

"You…Why? Why are you here…?" the teen with golden eyes asked.

He suddenly fainted, the aura disappearing. The swords of light vanished, allowing access to Zora's Domain once more.

Noticing this, Groose wanted to leave. Midna agreed and the two were going to exit the area when a Zora elder stopped them. He was flanked by two younger Zoras, a sleepy Hylian girl and several Zora guards.

"I knew it," he said.

"You're here for the pearl, aren't you?" the Zora teen girl asked them.

Midna summoned her whip when she saw the Hylian girl run over to her assailant.

"Link!" she screamed.

'Link? That's his name?' Midna thought.

The Zoras arrested them and the pair of thieves saw the younger Zoras walk over to Link. They helped the girl carry him back into the domain and the two were led inside by the angry Zoras.

* * *

_January 18__th__, 8 a.m., dungeons…_

In chains and awaiting an audience with the Zora Royal Family, Midna and Groose argued, blaming each other for their being caught. The Gerudo teen yelled several curses to which Midna replied with several choice words of her own.

"This was a bad idea and you knew it!" Groose yelled.

"You know why we had to!" Midna yelled back.

"We could've done something much simpler. But no, Miss Thieving-Twili-Girl just had to get us the hard job. She just had to do that! I could've stay home, but no, I said. Why did I trust a Twili?" Groose cried out.

Offended, Midna scoffed, saying, "Well, why did I trust a Gerudo? You all can't be trusted!"

"There it is! The racism! I knew it! I knew you're a racist!" Groose yelled.

"You're just as bad as me!" Midna nearly screamed in anger.

The two proceeded to curse at each other, using words in both the Gerudo language and Twili dialect. After ten minutes of arguing, loud banging came from the door.

"WHAT?" the two screamed.

"The King would like to see you now," the Zora guard said.

The door opened and the guards took their chains, leading them to the throne room. There, they faced only the royal family and the Hylian girl. To their surprise, the guards unlocked the chains, freeing them.

"W-Why?" Midna asked.

"Lord Jabun foretold of this. He said that a Twili and Gerudo pair, both thieves, shall enter the domain and help the Hero," King Zora said.

"What? That's probably the stupidest…" Groose started.

Midna jabbed him in his side. "Shh!" she told him.

"Well, I'm sure you all know us by now. But who are you and why were you after Nayru's Pearl?" King Zora asked.

"We're thieves. Our names aren't worth mentioning," Midna told him.

"You will tell us or you'll be locked away in the dungeons, left to rot for the rest of your days," King Zora ordered.

Midna sighed and Groose said, "Well, I'm Groose Eldarani…A Gerudo as you can tell. And this over here's Midna Notti, a Twili. And we were going to get the pearl, even though I said it was a bad idea, because we need it to help a friend."

"And if we don't get it, they'll be executed," Midna added.

"Oh. Chivalrous thieves…" Queen Laruto muttered.

"Hey, I'm the chivalrous one. Midna just steals just for the heck of it," Groose told her.

"What?" Midna bellowed.

Elder Japas silenced them and said, "Whether or not these two are chivalrous isn't the point. The point is, we will need all the help we can get to steer the Hero to his fate."

"Oh, that guy that attacked us when we were at that fountain?" Groose asked.

Before anyone could reply, a Zora nurse rushed out from the infirmary. She, with a terrified look on her face, said, "Your Majesties, Link has taken a turn for the worse. There's nothing we can do. We need a human doctor from the capital."

"But, Link said no doctors, especially not the ones from the capital," the Hylian girl said.

"Aryll, if he doesn't get any medical attention, he can die," Ralis told her.

"But!" Aryll said.

"No. We must honor his request. If he said no doctors, no doctors," Elder Japas said.

He headed towards the infirmary, with Ruto, Ralis and Aryll following closely behind. Midna and Groose looked back at the Zora king and awaited their punishment.

'If we go back without the pearl, we're dead and he'll be dead…If we stay here, the Zoras will most likely kill us…And…I don't think we have anywhere else to go…' she thought.

"For crimes of thievery against the royal family, I sentence you to," King Zora said.

'Here we go…' Midna thought.

"A lifetime of guarding the Hero," the king said.

The duo stared at the royal in disbelief.

"What kind of punishment is that?" Groose asked.

"Do you want a harsher sentence?" King Zora asked.

"Uh…No. Not really. But what are we going to do about the pearl? We need it to free our friend!" Midna said.

"We will send a faux pearl, as many outside the domain can't tell the difference. Your friend will be free to leave the capital and my people will lead them to a safe place. I swear it…as long as you protect the Hero," King Zora said.

'How can we be sure it's him? I'm not putting my hopes in some random guy that just so happened to attack me,' Midna thought.

* * *

_Later, Infirmary…_

Starting their sentence, the pair of thieves sat outside of Link's room, bored out of their minds. The door opened and Aryll looked at the two.

"So, you guys are going to help my cousin?" she asked.

"Yeah, I guess so…" Groose said.

"Come in…" the girl told them.

The two entered and saw Link sitting up in bed. He was unresponsive and kept staring at a wall with dull, lifeless eyes. Elder Japas, Princess Ruto and Prince Ralis sat in chairs, hoping that the Hylian would come to.

Elder Japas noticed the newcomers and said, "He hasn't responded to anything in over five hours…This isn't healthy…"

"Well, you shouldn't have spoken to him in that gibberish!" Ruto yelled.

"I did what was required of me. Lord Jabun said that the Hero would return, arriving in our domain and that I was to speak to the spirit that rests within him. I did just that. It isn't my fault that the boy has no knowledge his fate and that the spirit grows restless by the day," Elder Japas said.

"It isn't anyone's fault he's like this…" Aryll muttered.

"What do you mean?" Ralis asked.

Aryll began to cry. As she did, she told them, "When Link was seven, he went with my uncle to go to the nearby village near our house. On the way there, they were attacked by a pack of Wolfos and Link was chased off a cliff. He fell 50 feet and landed in a crevasse. It took the whole village to save him…My aunt and uncle took him to the hospital and he didn't wake for two weeks. When he did, he changed and…he started speaking that gibberish and attacked us when we didn't know what he was saying."

"It's been like that for eight years! He would get migraines or he would have nightmares! Then he would attack us! I…I don't want to see him like this! He's like a brother to me! I can't…And it's gotten worse since he got that book from Mister Sahasrahla!" Aryll cried.

The Hylian cried louder and Ruto hugged her to comfort her.

"It's going to be okay. Link's going to pull through," Ruto told her.

"What if he doesn't this time? What if he…? He can't!" Aryll cried, sobbing loudly.

Elder Japas ordered for Ruto and Aryll to leave. Before they could, they heard Link say, "No…Don't…"

Everyone looked in his direction and saw that he was still staring at a wall. Elder Japas jumped out of his seat and stood closer to him.

"Have you come back to us?" he asked.

"Don't…let…Aryll go…My sister…" Link muttered, still not fully functional.

Elder Japas looked disappointed and said, "That's it. I give up…We need to bring in a human doctor…Or a priest."

He left, leaving the group by themselves. Midna, getting an idea, asked, "What was the book that he had?"

"It was called the Book of Mudora. He said only the old royal family, the sages' descendants and the Hero can read it…Link had it and…he read it and…things got worse since then," Aryll replied, wiping her tears.

"Where is it?" Midna asked.

Aryll took it out of her satchel and gave it to her. Midna opened it and an immediate reaction came from Link. He lunged at her, pinning her to a wall.

"I knew it…" she said.

"It's mine! It's mine!" Link yelled in fury.

"So, this guy's…a bit crazy?" Groose asked.

"I don't think so…" Ruto said, hiding behind Ralis.

Ralis, holding his spear, held it up and said, "Link…She's not trying to take it."

The Hylian said something in the gibberish everyone was tired of hearing.

"Oh…So, you think I'm trying to take it?" Midna asked.

"Give it…back…" Link strained to say.

"Okay then…Catch…" Midna said, throwing the book.

Ruto caught it and she looked horrified. Link's attention was turned to her and she screamed.

"Oh crap!" the princess screamed.

Ralis held his spear at the ready to defend his twin sister. "You're going to have to go through me if you want to kill her, Link," he said.

Link looked confused and stared at Ruto. Ruto, half-praying, half-wanting to find an answer in the book, began flipping through the pages. To everyone's surprise, she told everyone that she could read some of it and Link didn't try to attack her after the announcement.

"Oh! Uh…Mister…Link…if you're in there. Um…Just look at it! I can't pronounce it…!" Ruto yelled, showing the page.

On the page were images of a sword wielding hero wearing armor of green and gold. Link, still in a trance, walked towards Ruto and the Zora willingly gave him the tome. He pointed at the image and muttered something.

"That…That's…me…" he said in a near whisper.

The Hylian fainted, dropping the weighty tome in the process. Ruto and Ralis sighed in relief while Groose, Midna and Aryll were confused.

'So…He…really is him? The guy my tribe's been searching for all these years? But…how? I thought the tales said that he was scattered to the four winds, his soul torn asunder by the Dark One…' Midna thought.

"This guy just can't be…No…" Groose said, slumping towards the ground in disbelief.

"My cousin's…the Hero? Then…Did he know?" Aryll asked.

Ruto and Ralis helped the unconscious Link up and placed him back in his bed. The Zoras sighed, hoping that he would have no further outbursts.

* * *

_January 19__th__, 2 a.m.…_

Midna, who couldn't sleep, stood outside of Link's room in the domain's infirmary. There were no guards in sight as many didn't want to be bothered. She placed her hand on the handle and turned it when Aryll appeared behind her.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Gah! Don't…do that!" Midna said, holding a hand to her chest.

"Why are you going into his room? He's not…" Aryll said.

"I know that. I just need to be sure if he's the one," Midna told her.

The two entered the room to see that Link was sitting up in bed again and staring at the floor. His still lifeless eyes were a dull gold and he didn't move an inch. Aryll grabbed a nearby chair and sat next to the bed. Midna did the same and the two kept watch over him.

After several moments of silence, Aryll broke it by starting conversation.

"So…You're a Twili? I've never seen one before. Where are you from?" Aryll asked.

"Well, at least that's better than you automatically thinking I'm a bad guy…I'm from the capital. And yes, I'm a thief…But I only stole from the nobles to survive. It's hard being an orphan there," Midna said.

Aryll looked surprised and asked, "Then what about that Groose guy?"

"Oh him? He's a thief too. A Gerudo…Man, he just had to fulfill the stereotype…Anyway, he also stole to survive because he's an orphan too. His family was in a caravan that was attacked by monsters ten years ago. He managed to make it to the capital and he was refused any help because he's…" Midna said.

"Different? That's stupid…I would've helped him if someone came to our mansion and had that happen to them," Aryll said.

Midna smirked, happy to see Hylians with decent sense. The conversation ceased when Link jumped out of bed. The two kept their eyes on him as he walked around in the room aimlessly.

Aryll was going to help him when the Twili stopped her. "But why?" she asked.

"Shh!" Midna told her.

Link touched the walls as he started to travel the circumference of the room. His feet disturbed the small streams that encircled the area and he had a look of dread on his face. He yelled, nearly screaming in the unknown tongue and grabbed the sword near his bed.

Terrified at what he was going to do, Midna and Aryll headed for the door. A light barrier created a blockade, preventing their escape.

'Not again…' Midna thought.

Aryll was the first to turn as the two sensed he was behind them. She screamed, falling to the ground and praying to the gods for salvation. Midna turned as well to see that Link had lifted his sword above his cousin's head.

"Oy! Mr. Link…guy…Hero-thing…Whoever you are…Don't hurt her!" Midna ordered.

Link looked at her and the Twili could see a dark shadow looming over his person. She cursed, knowing what it was.

'Shadow magic…How? Hylians don't know that much about it and it's dangerous if they use it,' Midna thought.

She snapped out of her thoughts as she saw the teen charge at her. Closing her eyes, she silently prayed to the guardian deity of the Twili, hoping that she would be spared.

"LINK! NO!" Aryll screamed.

Midna opened her eyes, surprised that a sword wasn't in her chest. Link apparently had stopped in his tracks from Aryll's cries. The sword he held was two inches away from Midna's heart, to the Twili's relief. In tears, the Hylian girl walked over to her cousin and hugged him.

"Don't. She's not a bad guy. None of us are…We want to help you…but…You have to snap out of this. I don't know what's going on in that head of yours, but you have to wake up," Aryll cried.

Link dropped the weapon and held his head. Panting, he managed to say, "Mi…Mid…Midna…"

"Yes?" Midna said.

"You…didn't help me…" Link said, voice breaking.

"What?" Midna asked.

"I…I needed you to help me. You didn't help me…" Link muttered, now crying.

Midna stared at the teen in confusion, questioning his sanity.

"I…I don't know you. And we haven't really met…" Midna said.

"You watched as that spell tore me to pieces!" Link screamed, pushing Aryll off of him.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Midna yelled.

Link suddenly jolted, as if a surge of electricity ran through him. "No…You're…not…Who are you?" he said, holding his head.

He shook his head and looked around. The gold in his eyes changed to that of a sapphire hue and the shadow disappeared from him. The Hylian looked at her and asked, "Who are you?"

He then looked at Aryll. With a look of guilt, Link said, "I…What happened? I don't remember anything, except…"

Link turned to Midna. "Except you and that Gerudo guy trying to steal from the Zoras," he said.

"Yeah…Um…Well, we got caught and was sentence to protect you," Midna told him.

"Link…we'll explain in the morning…I…I'm tired…" Aryll said.

The two left, hoping that Link would be normal in the morning.

* * *

_Later that morning, hidden lake…_

The Zora royal family called Midna, Groose, Aryll and Link to the hidden lake area. After being summoned, the four stood on the altar and the royal family stood near them. The group explained to Link what happened and introduced Groose and Midna to him. When he received the information, Link began to question what happened.

"Well, it all started after Grandpa had to speak that weird language to you," Ruto said.

"No. Aryll said he's been going crazy since he received that book," Ralis told her.

Elder Japas silenced the two and said, "I know this is confusing for you, but you did confirm who and what you are in your frenzied state."

Link looked around in confusion and Aryll said, pulling out the Book of Mudora. She turned to the page where the image of a sword wielding hero was and pointed to it. Link looked at it and said nothing.

"You said that this is you," Aryll told him.

"I…I did?" Link asked.

"Yes. You've confirmed who and what you are. You are the reincarnation of the ancient hero and you will save us from the Dark One," Elder Japas said.

Midna noticed Link looked unsure and kept silent.

"And the language that you spoke was none other than the language spoke during the Sky Era. The Book of Mudora was written during that time and was created specifically to aid the Heroes in their quests. Every last one of them subconsciously knew the ancient language but spoke the common languages used during their lifetimes," Elder Japas said.

"According to Lord Jabun, the spirit within you is growing restless, causing the many blackouts you've had. It wishes to complete the mission assigned to it, but…" King Zora added.

"But, you have no desire to do what it wishes, correct?" Queen Laruto asked.

Link sighed and said, "I don't have a clue what's going on. I didn't know anything about any of this until today and now…"

The teen was interrupted by loud splashing. Midna and the others saw Lord Jabun rise from the water, the fish staring at Link. He spoke to him in the ancient tongue and Link's jaw dropped.

Lord Jabun shook the antenna on his head and a blue pearl fell from it. Link caught it and Midna thought, 'Nayru's Pearl? Why did he give it to him?'

Link turned to Midna and said, "I guess this is for you."

"What?" Midna said in disbelief.

Elder Japas translated what the guardian deity said.

"Lord Jabun entrusts the pearl to you. He says that the person you are trying to rescue is still alive and he will need the real pearl. Your client is a powerful mage and she can tell if the gem is an imitation. Go to Hyrule City and give up the pearl. Your friend will be waiting at the mage's manor," Elder Japas translated.

Midna thanked him and, with Groose, began to back away. Using shadow magic, she transported Groose and herself to the capital, hoping that Lord Jabun's words were true.

* * *

_Okay, so Midna and Groose are orphans and thieves in this draft. Much different than the original. Review?_

_-miano53_


	6. Chapter Five: Ashelia

"_The capital of the Hyrulean Empire, Hyrule City, is said to be a rather ruthless place. The entire city runs on money and knowledge. Without both, none could hope to climb the social and economic ladder. Even after climbing to the heights of that ladder, one mistake can send a person plummeting into severe poverty."_

_-a historian in Kakariko City_

Chapter Five: Ashelia

_January 18__th__, noon, Hyrule City, Palace District streets…_

A servant girl of 14 years walked through the Palace District of Hyrule City, holding large paper bags filled with food. Her brown hair was covered by a blue maid's headscarf and a heavy winter dress covered her person. She trudged through the snow in boots that were rather old and worn out, freezing her feet. The servant looked around the snow covered area with hazel eyes and sighed.

'Well, hopefully the food's still warm,' she thought.

She kept walking, passing up the many gardens and mansions of the city's elite. The homes were all gated, separating one from the other. The pathways were lined with magic powered lamps and snow mounds. Guards patrolled the area, ready to defend the elite if trouble arose.

The palace of the Imperial Family was in the center of the area, dividing the district into two. A massive, iron gate blocked free access to the area. Two guards in silver armor stood in front, their eyes not leaving the street.

When the servant was close enough, she pulled out what looked like a pass from one of the bags and the guards opened the gate. She quickly ran through, knowing they were going to close it immediately.

The palace of Hyrule was a modified version of the previous Hyrule Castle, suited to the tastes of the Imperial Family. Gardens flanked both the western and eastern areas of the palace grounds. Within the gardens were statues dedicated to the golden goddesses, the Goddess of Sand and the past rulers of the empire. More guards dotted the grounds, patrolling the area for intruders.

Arriving at the doors to the palace, the servant girl was stopped by two guards.

"Oy! Jolene, you got it?" one of them asked.

Jolene rolled her eyes and said, "Yes. I got the 'ham-ham-more ham-and cheese' sandwiches."

The guards grabbed one of the bags and took what they had ordered from her. After doing so, the two allowed her inside the palace.

* * *

_Hyrule Palace, basement level…_

Servants ran through the basement kitchens and dining room, preparing food for the emperor's lunch. When Jolene entered, the group stopped what they were doing and grabbed the bag, taking whatever she had bought. The group thanked her and Jolene put her outwear away. Afterwards, she was given a tray of food to carry to the emperor's office.

The servant girl did as she was told, heading through the halls of the spacious palace and towards the west wing. The west wing was filled with ancient Gerudo artwork and the symbols of the Holy Relic. Guards lined the halls, ensuring that His Majesty would be safe.

Once at the large, ornate doors of the emperor's office, Jolene announced to the guards, "I'm here with His Majesty's lunch."

One of the guards leered at her and she asked, "What? Why are you leering at me?"

"I don't know why he would be bothered with a half-breed like…" he said.

The door opened and the guards stood at attention. The emperor, Ganondorf Dragmire VI, glared at the offending guard and said, "'Half-breed' or not, she is a much better worker than you."

"I'm sorry sir," the guard said.

The emperor looked at Jolene and motioned for her to enter. The servant girl did and the door was closed behind her. She saw His Majesty sit at his desk and she placed the tray on it.

"Is there anything else you want me to do, sir?" Jolene asked.

"No. You're dismissed," Ganondorf told her.

Jolene was about to leave when he changed his mind. "Wait. There is something I would like to ask you," Ganondorf said.

"Sir?" Jolene asked.

"Do you…see me as an evil man?" Ganondorf asked.

"Uh…no…Um…"Jolene stammered.

"I know it is an odd question, but I just need to know. I don't believe I am. I've helped as much as I could with the poverty situation in this country," Ganondorf said.

"Yeah, but…Um…How can I say this…?" Jolene said.

"Speak as you normally would," Ganondorf ordered.

The servant girl sighed and told him, "Well, you could end the war and balance taxes. The rich should be the ones paying more, not the poor. And…you could start a scholarship fund for those who want to go to school."

Her heart raced as she noticed Ganondorf's stare. He then smirked, saying, "Great ideas. But most of those policies are from my father. And I'm sure that the Senate will refuse."

"But you're the emperor. You can override it!" Jolene yelled.

She caught herself and thought she would be executed for raising her voice. Ganondorf laughed and said, "I wish it was that easy. Well, I'm not surprised that you don't know. I act more like a president than an emperor. The most I really do is veto things."

Jolene sighed, relieved that the emperor didn't order her arrest. After she thought about what he said, she asked, "Then, can you end the war? The country's wasting money on it."

"Well, the war is a necessary one. We have to find what can save our nation," Ganondorf told her.

"So invading other countries will help us? How?" Jolene asked.

"You'll see soon. Now, you're dismissed," Ganondorf said.

Jolene bowed and quickly left.

* * *

After the servant Jolene left, Ganondorf smiled.

'Well, she's the only one who actually stands up to me. Interesting. She reminds me of…her…' he thought.

He looked at a picture of his late daughter, Ashelia, on his desk and vowed, "I will bring you back. You were taken too soon."

"Milord?" someone asked.

Ganondorf looked at the door and saw an armored, tall man. He was identified as Captain Onox, one of Ganondorf's advisors. The man had a smirk on his face and Ganondorf asked, "What?"

"Well, I got some good news for ya!" Onox said, rather happy.

"What?" Ganondorf asked, exasperated.

"Well, we got a bead on where the Triforce of Wisdom is," Onox told him.

The emperor got up from his chair and Onox placed a file on his desk. Ganondorf opened it and read what was inside. The Hyrulean soldiers found a girl in Kakariko City that had the gift of divination. They also reported that the girl had a triangle mark on her right hand.

"Hmm. Is she still in the city?" Ganondorf asked.

"Well…You see…We only got…" Onox said, his happiness fading.

Ganondorf slammed his fists onto the desk and yelled, "Find her!"

"Okay! Okay! Sheesh," Onox said, leaving.

The man left and Ganondorf began to shake from anger. Believing his behavior odd, Ganondorf sat himself down and muttered, "Why? Why was I so angry?"

He kept thinking and remembered the many times he lost his temper. His temper felt dark, unlike others. The man was saddened as his temper caused for his wife, Empress Nabooru, to not talk to him for days many times. Currently, the two weren't on speaking terms as he had yelled at her for her accepting their firstborn's death.

She went to her room and refused to speak for days. The man, hoping to reconcile with his wife, stood up and headed for her room. Ten minutes later, he arrived and saw two old Gerudo women standing outside.

"Oh, look who's here, Koume," the first said.

"Oh, I'm sure he's trying to reconcile with Nabooru again, Kotake" Koume said.

"Hello you two," Ganondorf said, not too fond of the twins.

The women scanned him and Kotake said, "I'm surprised that he hasn't gone into depression."

"Yeah, with the way she hasn't talked to him for a week…" Koume added.

"Can I please see her?" Ganondorf asked.

"And his yelling at her isn't good for the baby," Kotake told her sister.

"Yep. His making Nabooru upset will be detrimental to it," Koume added.

"Can you two please stop talking and move?" Ganondorf yelled in annoyance.

The twins grumbled and left, muttering, "Well, we were going to move anyway."

The man entered the room to see the heavily pregnant Nabooru sitting on her bed. She was reading an old book about the legends of Hyrule. When she noticed him, she went back to reading without a word.

Ganondorf sat on her bed and asked, "How long are we not going to talk?"

Nabooru moved over, allowing for Ganondorf to sit next to her. The man, not liking the silence, told her, "I spoke with the servant Jolene today."

Nabooru still said nothing.

"She's…strong-willed. She told me about starting a scholarship fund and taxing the rich," Ganondorf said.

Nabooru rolled her eyes, seemingly annoyed.

"And she reminds me of…her. I can't believe it's been eight years since she left us," Ganondorf told her, still trying to get his wife to speak to him.

"And it's been eight years since you've became obsessed in finding that stupid Triforce!" Nabooru yelled, getting up from the bed.

She headed for the door, wanting to leave. Ganondorf jumped out of the bed and ran towards her. He grabbed her by the arm, with great protest.

"Let go of me! Let go!" Nabooru screamed.

The man held her in his arms, stopping her from struggling.

"Let me go! Let go!" Nabooru cried.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. But…Admit it. Would you not want to hold your daughter in your hands again?" Ganondorf asked.

Nabooru said nothing and kept crying.

"If we find it, we can wish to revive Ashelia. And the little one will have their older sister," Ganondorf told her, now hugging his wife.

Silence came from the two. Moments later, Nabooru thought to speak.

"The baby is a girl," Nabooru told him.

Ganondorf looked at her and Nabooru said, "The baby is a girl. And…if you can promise me this."

"What?" Ganondorf asked.

"Promise me that you won't become like…him…You already have been cursed with the name, but promise me that you will not become like him. A power hungry, Demon King…" Nabooru replied.

Ganondorf nodded and Nabooru smiled for the first time in days.

* * *

_The next day…_

Wondering why her emperor had summoned her, Jolene rushed to the emperor's apartments in the palace. Once again, she was stopped by the two guards standing in front of the chamber doors.

"I'm here to see His Majesty. Can you please move?" Jolene told them.

"Oh, the little half-breed's back," the first guard said.

"Move it!" Jolene yelled.

"And she thinks she can just talk to us any kind of way. You need to learn your…" the second guard said.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," someone said.

The guards straightened up and a red haired woman wearing dark clothing walked towards them. Her family's symbol of a red eye was on her costume and the dark makeup she wore was haunting. The woman looked at Jolene with eyes of ruby and asked, "You are here to see the emperor?"

"She is. But why is he giving audiences to half-breed, Lady Veran?" the guards asked.

"Half-breed or not, if the emperor wishes to see her, she can enter. Now move," Veran ordered.

The guards grumbled under their breaths and the doors were opened. To Jolene's surprise, the room was empty.

"W-Where is he?" Jolene asked, not liking what was going on.

Veran sat behind the emperor's desk, shocking Jolene.

"Um…O-Only His Majesty can sit there," Jolene told her.

"He's in a meeting right now. So, I'll ask myself," Veran said, picking up the picture of Princess Ashelia.

"Um…What?" Jolene said.

Veran placed the photo back onto the desk and looked at the girl. With a serious look, she asked, "How old are you?"

"Um 14-years-old, ma'am," Jolene answered, twiddling her thumbs.

"And you're a half-Gerudo, half-Hyrulean. How did that happen?" Veran asked.

Jolene sighed and said, "My dad was the son of a Gerudo elder. He left the village and moved to a small town near Lake Hylia and found my mom, a Hyrulean. He married her and the two had me. When others found out about what happened, well…"

"Your parents were killed by the 'Hyrulean Purists', a racist group here. They believe that all the races of the empire should remain separate. Well, the Deku, Goron, Zora and Watarara tribes can. But the human tribes shouldn't have a problem with anything like that…" Veran told her.

'So…? What does this have to do with me?' Jolene thought.

Veran smirked and said, "Her Majesty wishes to adopt."

Jolene was shocked.

"I am looking for candidates that she will most likely adopt. You're on the list, my dear," Veran said.

"What?" Jolene yelled.

"His Majesty may not like it, but I'm sure he'll accept the idea of adopting you. He knows you well and is already treating you as if you were his daughter," Veran continued.

'I…I...' Jolene said.

"Don't be so scared, dear. You're just a candidate. But if you are adopted, you will not receive the title of princess, but you will receive the title of 'lady' and funds from the government," Veran said.

Jolene felt dizzy and the room started spinning. She saw herself falling as she lost consciousness.

"Jolene!"

* * *

"Will she awaken from this?" Ganondorf asked Koume.

The three were standing in a room in the palace's infirmary, looking at the sleeping Jolene in a bed. Ganondorf, genuinely worried, sighed. It reminded him too much of what happened to Ashelia and he pushed back the memories.

"Yes. She seems exhausted," Koume told him.

"But, she probably won't wake for hours. So, I wouldn't give her any orders for the next two days. She needs rest," Kotake added.

The twins left and Ganondorf kept staring at the girl.

"I will not lose you like I lost Ashelia…" Ganondorf muttered.

* * *

_Well, this chapter's a bit on the short side. But hopefully this'll give more to the villains. As before, I will expand on the story of Ganondorf and his servants. But he won't be the same, stereotypical power hungry villain as he is in the games._


	7. Chapter Six: Reluctance

"_It is said that the Hero of Time was a powerful wielder of Forest and Earth magic and his patron goddess was Farore. Farore is said to be one of the creator gods, the source of Forest, Earth and Wind magic. She was also the inspiration for the many wind, percussion and string instruments used by the Koriki, Hylian and Goron tribes. Anyway, the Hero was a powerful warrior, magician and talented musician. I don't know if his other incarnations were as powerful or talented. Oh…Why is he called that? I…don't know. He is called that in Termina, but…"_

_-a servant in Hyrule Palace_

Chapter Six: Reluctance

_January 20__th__, Hyrule City, Lady Veran's manor, 9 a.m.…_

After arriving via Shadow magic in front of Lady Veran's manor, Groose and Midna rushed to the doors of the house and were stopped by the guards. They pushed Groose back and he stopped himself from retaliating.

"Oy! What are you two doing here?" one asked.

"We got the pearl. Now let us in!" Midna yelled.

The guards were confused and muttered several things under their breath. Moments later, they opened the doors to the lavish mansion.

Lady Veran DeSousa's manor was a beautiful mansion of 30 bedrooms and 12 baths situated on two floors. The interior of the home was in the color schemes of black, red and purple. Servants lined the halls, ready to take orders from the manor's owner at any time. All amenities were available for guests, but the lady of the house had to be present.

The thieves were led by a Hyrulian servant to the second floor and to the office of Lady Veran. The doors opened, revealing Lady Veran sitting at her deck. A twelve-year-old, brown-haired, green eyed boy sat in a chair in front of it and was in chains, indicating he was jailed. His clothes of white and brown were dirty and tattered, the usual look of orphans in Hyrule City.

"Lady Veran, we have the pearl. Now, can you let Makar go?" Groose asked.

"Show it to me," Lady Veran said.

Midna placed the blue pearl with the symbol of the goddess, Nayru, on it. Magic pulsated from this and Lady Veran looked pleased. She had a servant unlock Makar's chains and said, "You all can go now."

Groose, not trusting Lady Veran, asked, "Uh…That's it?"

"Yes. That's it. I did not harm the boy, nor did I report you two to the Hyrulian Guards. I kept my end of the bargain and it seems that you have done your part as well. You may go, but you will not steal from me again. Is that clear?" Lady Veran told them.

"Yes ma'am," the trio said.

They were then escorted out of the mansion and off the property. Once back in the streets of Hyrule City and finding their way to an alley, Makar yelled, "What took you two so long? She didn't give me food! I'm starving! I didn't eat breakfast!"

"We had a bit of trouble and…" Groose started.

"And what? Did you know that she didn't give me any water to drink? I'm thirsty! I'm dehydrated!" Makar yelled.

"Okay! We get it! We were going to tell you that we're leaving the city…permanently," Midna said.

Makar didn't believe them. Instead, he told them, "Yeah right. I'm sure that someone will take three orphans from the city who steal for a living."

"No. We're not getting adopted. We kinda…have a new job," Groose said.

"Does it pay?" Makar asked.

"Well…" Groose started.

"The job doesn't pay?" Makar yelled.

"Makar, just shut up and we'll tell you," Midna told him.

The boy fell silent and the pair explained what happened. They told him what happened in Zora's Domain and how they became guardians to the supposed Hero to avoid a prison sentence. After telling their tale, Makar still wasn't impressed.

"So, you two got caught and now we're guardian a guy the Zoras say is the Hero? Why couldn't you guys just get the pearl, come back here and take an easy job?" Makar asked.

"Hey! I didn't want to take it, but you just had to get caught, taking Lady Veran's wallet when we were running from those guards. We did all that just to save you!" Groose yelled.

Makar, still not believing them, sighed.

"So…I guess anything's better than here…since we keep messing up on the small jobs…Okay, I'll go with you guys," Makar said, dispirited.

The trio held hands and Makar said, "Like a good neighbor!"

Midna rolled her eyes and said reluctantly, "Country Acres is there!"

"At Zora's Domain!" Groose yelled.

"You guys really don't have to do that. I can teleport us there without having to chant anything," Midna told them.

"Eh, it's more fun that way," Groose said.

The trio disappeared in black pixels as they were transported back to the domain of the Zoras.

* * *

_Zora's Domain, noon…_

Elated that he had no nightmares or blackouts in more than 24 hours, Link began exploring more of the domain. He saw that humans of many tribes and Zoras were mostly working together. They all shared the trades of fishing, maintaining the nearby airport and roads, as well as purifying the waters that flowed out to the majority of Hyrule. The guards, however, were made up of only Zoras and humans weren't allowed to join the ranks.

As he tried to enter a shop, the teen sensed someone behind him. He turned and yelped as Groose, Midna and a newcomer appeared behind him. The newcomer stared at him and Midna said, "Well, we're back, just like we said we would."

"Um…I really don't think I need guardians. I never asked for any," Link told her.

"Wait, this is the guy?" the newcomer asked.

"Yes Makar. This is the guy. Link, right?" Groose said.

Link offered his hand for a handshake, but the boy refused.

"Makar Viento," Makar said, folding his arms and turning away from Link.

Before Link could say anything, he spotted Ralis and Ruto running towards him.

"Hey! Link!" Ruto yelled.

The twins stopped in front of the group and saw Makar. Ralis and Ruto introduced themselves to him, to where the boy rudely spat his name at them. The royal pair looked as if they were going to retaliate, but stopped and looked at Link.

"Anyway, ignoring this rude human…Link, Lord Jabun wishes to see you," Ralis said.

"Why?" Link asked.

"Well, according to Grandpa, it's of grave importance. He said you must learn more before you start your journey," Ruto replied.

Confused, Link thought, 'Journey? What journey? I was just going to go back home soon…'

"Well, let's see what the big fish wants. Hopefully he won't eat us," Groose said.

"Uh…What big fish?" Makar asked.

"Oh, you'll see. Link, let's go," Midna said.

Still unsure about everything, Link reluctantly followed them.

* * *

"_Well done, Link…" a giant tree with a face spoke in a solemn tone._

"_So then the curse is gone, right…Great Deku Tree?" a young Link asked._

"_Yes. Thou hast verily demonstrated thy courage. I knew that thou would be able to carry out my wishes. Now, I have more to tell thee. Whilst thou listen?" the Great Deku tree told him._

_Link nodded and the tree began to speak more on the subject of the world's creation. As he spoke, Link noticed he was slowly becoming petrified. He told him that a man from the desert region casted the curse on him._

"_Before time began, before spirits and life existed…__Three golden goddesses descended upon the chaos that was Hyrule...Din, the Goddess of Power...Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom...Farore, the Goddess of Courage. Din…With her strong flaming arms, she cultivated the land and created the red earth. Nayru...Poured her wisdom onto the earth and gave the spirit of law to the world. Farore...With her rich soul, produced all life forms who would uphold the law."_

"_The three great goddesses, their labors completed, departed for the heavens. And golden sacred triangles remained at the point where the goddesses left the world. Since then, the sacred triangles have become the basis of our world's providence. And, the resting place of the triangles has become the Sacred Realm," the tree explained._

* * *

"Link…are you okay?" Aryll asked.

Link shook his head, finding himself at the lake behind the Zora's throne. He was standing with Aryll, Ruto, Ralis, and Elder Japas. The newcomers Groose, Midna and Makar also joined them on the dais for Lord Jabun. The group waited for the royal twins to summon him and Makar said, "Seriously, a giant fish? You guys worship a fish?"

"Shh!" Midna told him.

Ruto and Ralis placed two smaller fish on the altar and said, "Lord Jabun, we offer this to you."

Bubbling appeared in the waters in front of the dais and Lord Jabun jumped out of it. He rested his head on the altar and quickly scooped up the fish. Pleased, he began to speak an old language, the language everyone was apparently tired of hearing.

According to Elder Japas, Lord Jabun wished to tell Link about his destiny. As he spoke, Link felt something within him stir, but there wasn't a feeling of tiredness. The teen slowly understood what Lord Jabun was saying and was going to reply when something came out of him.

An ethereal light appeared and took the shape of an older man of tall stature. The translucent man had on armor of gold, but underneath clothes of green. A red cape covered his back and his pale blonde hair was mixed with many grey hairs.

Link tried to get a look at him, but he noticed that the group was staring at Lord Jabun. The man spoke and surprisingly, Link understood him. Lord Jabun nodded and said, "Well met, milord."

"Well met indeed, Lord Jabun. I am pleased to see you again," the man told him.

"And yet, he has no knowledge of what his role is in all this," Lord Jabun said.

"That will be my fault. I could not protect him from the damage that was done to his psyche," the man sorrowfully told the guardian deity.

Lord Jabun shook his head and said, "You couldn't prevent that from happening. It was destined to happen. That is why I am speaking directly to you. He will not understand until you are whole again."

'Whole again?' Link thought.

"_You will understand…in time."_

Link shook his head, but the man didn't disappear. Lord Jabun kept speaking and Link turned to the others. Elder Japas was amazed and said to everyone, "Lord Jabun is speaking directly to the spirit within him."

"So, why hasn't Link spoke that weird language?" Ruto asked.

"Or passed out?" Aryll added.

"Or tried to kill us?" Ralis added.

"And he's just standing there, staring at the big fish! Why?" Makar yelled.

Link looked around, noticing that they didn't see him turn or scan the area. Finding it odd, he listened in to what Elder Japas had to say.

"The spirit seems…quite restless. It wants to complete the task and feels regret for not…protecting Link. Is it because of the brain damage Link suffered from that attack on his life?" Elder Japas said.

Link turned his attention back to the man that he could only see. The man sighed and told Lord Jabun, "I will wait, but…I cannot allow for him to go astray."

"Yes, but your soul isn't whole. The Dark King split your soul, scattering it to the winds in the previous great battle…that you've lost," Lord Jabun said.

"And I still haven't the slightest idea how. The Master Sword was at full power…I was…My incarnation was…" the man said, trembling.

"Yes…That is a mystery. The Master Sword is a sword that evil hands cannot touch. But yet, that Ganondorf survived the final blow. I sensed something had happened to the sword during the battle, but…I don't know what happened to make the sword lose its power…" Lord Jabun said.

The man said nothing and Lord Jabun told him, "I will request that you rest. You've managed to confuse your current incarnation and the previous ones."

"I've rested long enough. I will not sleep for 160 years again…" the man declared.

"I understand," Lord Jabun said.

The translucent man disappeared in the ethereal light and it reentered Link. The teen fainted, feeling tired once more.

* * *

_Waking up in a snow covered field, Link shook his head and looked around. Snow fell softly onto the land and Link could see the image of a castle in the distance. To his right, he could see the faint image of a temple. To his left was that of a red, lava filled mountain. _

_He got up, scanning the area for anything else that he missed. Link froze as he heard heavy breathing coming from behind him. He grabbed his sword and shield, turned and saw an imposing skeletal figure in golden armor. It was armed with a sword and shield as well._

_The figure went into a battle stance and Link did the same. He was surprised that the figure didn't attack. So, he tried to jump in the air and attack._

_The figure blocked the sword attack with its shield and quickly countered with a sword strike of its own. Link was sent flying back as he was hit._

"_Ow…" he moaned._

"_A sword wields no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage."_

_Link looked up and saw that the figure was speaking to him. He got up from the ground and the undead figure continued._

"_You may be destined to become the hero of legend…but your current power would disgrace the proud green of the hero's garb you wear," the figure said._

_Link listened more intently, wondering what it meant. _

"_You must use your courage to seek power…and find it you must. Only then will you become the hero for whom this world despairs. If you do find true courage, and you wish to save Hyrule from the horrors it now faces…Then you will be worthy to receive the secrets I hold," the figure told him._

* * *

Link opened his eyes, finding himself in the infirmary once again. The teen sighed, wondering what happened.

"_You fainted."_

"Who said that?" Link asked, looking around the room.

No one, not even Elder Japas, was in the room.

"_You had another vision of the past after you fainted."_

"The past?" Link asked.

"_Yes. You've seen what you've experience in previous lifetimes...or should I say what I've experienced."_

"Wait, what?" Link asked, very confused.

"_You can only see them as you are my current incarnation. You failed to save the land previously and have been given a second chance."_

"What? I…I'm no incarnation of anyone. I'm me. No one else," Link said.

The voice sighed.

"_Your reaction is expected. No one would believe a disembodied voice. But, it is true. You are my current incarnation."_

"Okay, then…if I am…you, then who are you?" Link asked.

"_Everyone has told you…and you confirmed it."_

Link thought about it and remembered what Elder Japas said.

'The…ancient hero? What? How?' Link thought.

"_I…don't remember. But, you must accept it, lest you lose yourself."_

"So, I have to be this Hero everyone wants? I never wanted to be a hero. I'm okay just being a normal person," Link said.

"_You were never normal. You were born one of the Chosen."_

Link began feeling angry, wondering why he was chosen.

"_You have the bloodline of the ancient one, thus inheriting my spirit as well."_

"Then…I can't have a normal life…?" Link asked.

"_No. You must accept it or else the world will fall into darkness, forever."_

"But, what if I don't want to? What if I fail?" Link asked.

There wasn't a response from the voice.

'Why me? I was just trying to run an errand for Mom, but now…' Link thought.

A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. The door opened and Link saw Aryll enter. She was worried and closed the door behind her.

"Link, are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, but…" Link told her.

"But what?" Aryll asked.

"N-Nevermind," Link said.

The two were silent and Aryll said, "Well. I heard that we can't return home. I don't know why, but you wouldn't let me take you home when you were in…that form."

Link said nothing and Aryll continued.

"Elder Japas said something about you starting your journey and we're supposed to accompany you, but….Why you? Why couldn't they choose someone else?" Aryll said, voice shaking.

Link then muttered, "I have the bloodline of the Hero."

"So…is that why they chose you? I…I don't want you to go through all that suffering like all the other Heroes did. I…I don't want you to go…" Aryll cried.

Link hugged his cousin, hoping to calm her down.

"It's okay. I...I have to, right? If I don't…" Link said.

"Then the world will fall into eternal despair," someone said.

The two looked at the door, seeing Elder Japas. The elderly Zora walked towards them, closing the door behind him.

"You must save the world from the hands of the Dark One. Even if that means overthrowing the Imperial Family," he said.

"But…I don't want to destroy a whole family! I…I just wanted a normal life," Link said.

"But yet you cannot. You must fulfill your destiny or else the world will end," Elder Japas told him.

Link became sullen, wondering why the entire world was put on his shoulders. Aryll, however, became angry.

"Why can't the people fight for themselves? Why do we always have to rely on the Heroes for salvation? And why must we wait until the Heroes appear to fight back?" she yelled.

"Because he is the only one strong enough to face the Dark One. His fate is eternally tied to his," Elder Japas replied, silencing Aryll.

The two glared at each other, ignoring a confused Link.

'Why me? Why did the gods choose me?' Link thought.

"We must teach him the basics of how to use his powers. We shall start in the morning," Elder Japas told him.

The elder left leaving an angry Aryll and a sullen Link in the room.

* * *

_Zora's Domain, near road to Hyrule Fields, 2 a.m.…_

Not wanting to stay any longer, Link found Epona and saw that she was attached to a small wagon. He looked around in suspicion, wondering who had done that to his horse.

"So, you really are leaving?" someone asked.

Link turned to see the trio of thieves. Aryll accompanied them and immediately hopped into the wagon.

"W-What are you doing here?" Link asked.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Midna asked.

"Isn't it obvious? He's running away. But who put that cart on the horse is beyond me," Makar told her.

"Well, that would be us," someone else said.

The group of five saw Ruto and Ralis walking towards them. They had provisions in their hands that included blankets, a map of the country, bags of food and small bottles. Ruto then said to Link, "Well, we were going to pack this cart for you to have you prepared for your journey."

"But you're running away, so I guess we can keep these," Ralis added.

Link sputtered, "N-No! Wait. I…Yes, I'm running. But…I just…"

"We understand. Here," Ruto said, giving Link the items.

Ralis packed the rest into the wagon and told him, "Well, we would accompany you, but…"

"We'll die if we stay outside of water for too long. So…We'll find a way to help you if you need it," Ruto added.

The twins looked at the five and Ralis said, "Lord Jabun said that since you're leaving, head south for Faron Woods. The journey will take a week, but you'll do just fine. But whatever you do, do not return to Snowpeak Mountain."

"The reason why is that it's too dangerous for you to go back. That Lord DiSatana took over the region as magistrate. If he knows you've returned there, he'll have you killed," Ruto added.

'So…is that why…?' Link thought.

Ralis and Ruto bowed at Link, both saying, "We pray that the gods bless you on your journey."

Link said nothing, climbing onto the wagon driver's seat and the others climbed into the wagon. He grabbed Epona's reins and shook them. Epona started trotting off and the group headed down the road, out of the domain and into the field.


	8. Chapter Seven: The Aftermath

_Update 4-28-14: And thanks to those who have read and reviewed this story recently. I'll try to stay on a schedule this summer for this story. I do know which direction I'm letting this go, unlike original draft. And this chapter will be more like a flashback chapter, showing what happened after TP Link died in this story._

_-miano53_

* * *

"_After the losing battle with the Dark One and darkness falling over the land, the resistance groups of Hyrule tried many times to fight against the newly formed Imperial Army. And many times, they failed to overthrow the Evil King. Twenty years after the Chosen One's death, the resistance forces all gathered in the plains north of Faron Woods. There, the Gorons of Death Mountain loyal to the fallen Hero, the Zoras of the Domain who were ever loyal, the Twili who gained the power to appear in the World of Light and loyal to Princess Midna II, the Gerudo who somehow managed to return to Hyrule from the lands beyond, and the Hyruleans who were still loyal to the deposed Royal Family gathered in the plains. Led by the deposed Princesses Zelda and Midna, the forces charged in, fighting off the powerful fiends the Dark King summoned. Despite their valiant efforts, the forces were wiped out, forcing the princesses to flee with the survivors. The battle was then dubbed 'The Losing Battle of the Rainy Plans'"_

_-an elder in Kakariko City_

Chapter Seven: The Aftermath

"_Princess Zelda! Princess Zelda!"_

_The 40-year-old Zelda of House Hylia looked up from a map of Hyrule and saw one of the few still loyal to her family, a scholar named Shad Solaris. The former royal was sitting in a tent, surrounded by the leaders of the tribes who were loyal to the Hyrulian Royal Family._

_Shad bowed and said, "I should probably say, 'Queen' Zelda. But…"_

"_The throne was stolen from her," the leader of the Zoras, King Ralis, told him._

_The leaders looked to Zelda and she told them, "We will meet the Evil King's army in the plains north of Faron Woods. There, we will use the terrain to our advantage. There are many outcroppings and trees that can hide and protect our archers."_

_The leader of the surviving Twili, Queen Midna, looked at Zelda and inquired, "So, we're just going to hide in the trees all day? I'm sure Ganon will burn them down and then what?"_

"_No. The Zoras and those from the human cities will be on the front lines. The Zoras will provide support to the soldiers, using their Water magic," Zelda said._

_She looked at the leader of the returning Gerudo, a man named Khalil. Speaking in the tribe's native tongue, Zelda told him, "Your Gerudo and the Twili will join together and use both magic and archery to subdue the forces charging in. You'll be stationed in the western, northern and eastern regions of the field. From those positions, you will be able to weaken a three-pronged attack."_

"_And what of the Gorons, 'Madijah'?" the Gerudo leader asked._

_In Hylian, and using a translator for King Khalil, Zelda replied, "They will be the last to go in, protecting both us and whatever healers we have. The Gorons will also prevent attacks from behind."_

"_Well, the plains are quite vast. What if the Evil King figures out what we are doing?" King Ralis questioned._

"_And what of the Zoras? Wouldn't they become dehydrated under the sun during battle?" Elder Darbus, leader of the Gorons, asked._

"_According to my sources, a rainstorm is coming. That will strengthen your Water magic while weakening Fire. The Evil King's army has a habit of using fire, so the storm will weaken their powers," Shad told everyone._

_With a few misgivings, the army agreed to the plan and waited for two days for the Imperial Army to strike…_

* * *

_January 23__rd__, Lake Hylia, encampment, 9 p.m.…_

"Zelda! Zelda! Someone's here to see you!"

Zelda Gaepora, a golden-haired, blue-eyed Hylian 15-year-old, looked up from a book she was reading and saw a dear friend. Her friend, an emerald-haired, azure-eyed young teen of 13 years, entered the tent and wiped snow off the bottom of her green winter dress. She started stammering, annoying Zelda.

"Who is it, Saria?" Zelda asked.

Saria Arból kept hesitating and was nervous.

"Uh…This guy is outside the camp…I-I think he's from the town of Lakeside at Lake Hylia. He said it's important and he's heard of your premonitions," Saria stammered.

"And he shall be promptly dismissed."

The two saw a tall, older woman with silver hair and red eyes. Her slender and athletic form was garbed with black, skin tight apparel. A single white tear was under her left eye and she was armed with a _kodachi_.

"Oh. Hi Impa," Saria said, greeting the older woman.

Impa Yamato, a Sheikah woman, glanced at Saria and looked intently at Zelda.

"You receiving visitors like this make it harder to protect you," Impa told her.

Zelda said something in the Sheikah dialect and noticed Saria's confused expression.

"Uh, what?" she asked.

"I just told Impa that I'll be fine. Send in the visitor," Zelda told her.

Saria shrugged her shoulders and Zelda put her book away. With Impa's help, she quickly changed into attire suited for that of a traveling fortune teller. She placed a black hood over her head and wore garments of black.

Impa began putting paint on her face, creating a single white tear under Zelda's right eye. The woman then put makeup on her hands, covering Zelda's triangle-shaped birthmark on her right forehand. She then began setting up the interior of the tent to look more mysterious. After everything was ready, Impa let the visitor in.

The pale-skinned man, wearing fashions of black and gold, stared at Zelda with ruby red eyes. He sat on the floor in front of Zelda and got comfortable.

Saria re-entered the tent and asked the man if he wanted refreshments. He politely declined and said to Zelda, "I am Lord Vaati of House Ombra, magistrate of the Lake Hylia region and mayor of the town of Lakeside. I came because I heard that a traveling caravan had a person with the gift of prophecy in their ranks."

"What do you want me to find out?" Zelda asked.

"Lady Izanami, correct?" Vaati inquired.

"Yes," Zelda said.

"I would ask of you to help me in a decision about a group of bandits that plague the roads near here. I must have the roads cleared as they lead directly to the capital. You understand, correct?" Vaati told her.

Zelda thought about it and remembered the rumors of bandits occupying the road leading to the capital. Not wanting any innocent travelers getting hurt, Zelda grabbed Vaati's hands and said, "Close your eyes."

Vaati did as he was told and the two saw a revelation of a group of bandits attacking a group of Hyrulian travelers. The bandits killed the group and took everything they had. The vision changed to that of Vaati getting attacked and his retaliating with powerful magic. Darkness covered his person and the image ended.

Zelda drew back and trembled in fear. Vaati had a confused expression on his face and asked, "What was that all about?"

"I…You're a mage, aren't you?" Zelda enquired.

"Yes. But what does that have to do with the bandits?" Vaati replied.

"You'll…you'll defeat the bandits that plague this region, but in doing so, you will be lost," Zelda told him.

"Lost? Lost to what?" Vaati asked.

"I don't know. All I know is that you'll be given a choice: let them flee and never return or kill them," Zelda said.

Vaati stood up, still rather confused.

"I only follow the law, milady," Vaati told her.

He left the tent, leaving Saria confused.

* * *

"_Zelda! We're losing! We must turn back!" Zelda heard through a Gossip Stone._

_The leaders of the tribes fight on her side stood next to her on a cliff overlooking the battlefield. Zelda was horrified as Ganondorf quickly found out of their plan and had monsters attacking from the air. Her advisor, Shad, looked at everything in horror and said, "We need to retreat, milady!"_

"_We…We can't give up. He wouldn't have…" Zelda told him._

"_Zelda, it's better for us to leave now and not lose any more people to this!" King Ralis yelled._

_Zelda said nothing._

"_Zelda! He's gone! He's not coming back! And even if he was here, he would say the same thing! Run and live to fight another day," Queen Midna yelled._

"_But…if we do…we'll be cowards," Zelda told her._

_In broken Hylian, King Khalil said, "Madijah. It…better we…leave now. We…must run. Or we die."_

_Zelda sighed, not wanting to leave the fate of her people to a tyrannical dictator. With tears in her eyes, she spoke in the Gossip Stone, "All units. Fall back. Retreat, I say! Retreat!"_

_The remaining resistance forces of only 500 fled the battlefield. As they did, Zelda looked and saw the deceased. She cried for the 4,000 soldiers that died._

_The deposed queen looked to the heavens and made a silent vow._

"_I…I will free you, my people. That I promise," she muttered._

* * *

"Zelda!"

Zelda was once again interrupted of her reading of a riveting book on the Losing Battle of the Rainy Plains. She, wearing her winter traveler's dress of blue and white, looked up from her book and saw a panicked Saria.

"What's wrong now?" she asked.

"Uh…There's a group of people in this wagon and they need help! Their driver fainted!" Saria yelled.

Zelda quickly got up, dropping the book she was reading and ran out of the tent. The snowy fields around Lake Hylia were just as cold as ever and more snow fell on the small camp. The tents of the Gaepora caravan were covered in snow and others came out to see the commotion.

A young woman in similar appearance to Zelda came out of one tent and joined Zelda in seeing the commotion. The two found the group and saw that their driver was a young blonde haired, teen boy. Zelda gasped and the young woman asked, "What's wrong?"

"Um…I…I had a dream about him, Hilda," Zelda said.

Hilda Gaepora, Zelda's older sister by five years, stared at the scene and told the caravan members, "Take the boy into the infirmary tent. And take the rest of them inside the main one. Zelda, go with Impa. She said something about training."

Zelda nodded and left, still wondering about the boy.

* * *

_Lake Hylia, near road to the Great Bridge of Hylia, 11 p.m.…_

After leaving the camp, Zelda kept herself silent as she notice Impa was nowhere to be found. Zelda scanned the area and pulled out a small dagger from a sheath on her side. The area, with many rock outcroppings and boulders to hide behind, was perfect for an ambush.

The teen's vision changed to a tinted red and she spotted the figure of Impa hiding in the shadows of a boulder near the bridge. She threw her dagger and it made contact with the shadow.

The figure disappeared and Zelda heard, "So you saw me. You've been practicing."

Impa appeared in front of her and looked pleased.

"Remember, using Shadow magic greatly consumes magical energy as you become one with the shadows. The element itself is that of cunning, trickery and stealth," Impa explained.

"And that I must be sneaky if I were to use it, right?" Zelda said.

Impa nodded and kicked upwards. An arc of shadow came from the attack and a target appeared at road. The Sheikah looked at Zelda and ordered, "Use Light magic to shoot at that target near the road. Remember, Light magic calls for you to seek truth and justice. The element itself is that of goodness, truth, justice and knowledge."

"But…isn't using it at night a bad idea?" Zelda asked.

"Why would you think that?" Impa asked.

Zelda held her hands behind her back and kicked at the dirt meekly.

"Um…Because the sun isn't out…and light is stronger when it is," Zelda told her.

Impa smirked and said, "Well, the power of light is usually at its strongest when everything it's at its darkest."

'What? I thought it was opposite,' Zelda thought.

The Sheikah patted her on her shoulder, telling her that they would return to camp. Without a word, the two left the area, heading back.

* * *

_An ancient Zelda sat in a wooden chair near the window to her bedroom, depressed. She, wearing an all-white dress, stared out the window and saw the snowy plains of North Horon in Holodrum. Her white hair fell down her back and some of it covered her face. Wrinkles covered her face and hands and she touched the window with her arthritis-filled hands._

_The old royal weakly smiled and said, "I'm sorry, people of Hyrule. I tried my best…"_

"_Lady Zelda? Your family is here to see you. And…why are you out of bed?" a Sheikah named Yosuke said._

_The young man helped the woman up from her sitting position and carried her to her bed. He put her back under the covers and fixed her pillows. Yosuke looked at her with ruby red eyes, typical of the Sheikah, and asked, "What did you think you were doing?"_

_Zelda, not in the mood to answer, replied with a question._

"_What is your name, good sir?" she asked._

"_Uh, Yosuke Hanamura, ma'am. I told you that plenty of times. I know you're forgetful these days, but I'm sure you don't have that 'All-Timer's'. Or is it 'Alzheimer's'? That thing named after that Holodrumni guy?" Yosuke replied._

"_And my family is here?" Zelda asked._

"_Yes ma'am. Your sons and grandchildren are here," Yosuke told her._

_Zelda ordered for him to bring them in and she spoke to her family once they had entered. She spoke to them about her final wishes and how she wanted her memoirs to be stored. The men and their wives obliged while the grandchildren had saddened expressions on their faces. _

"_Mother…why are you telling us this?" the first of the four sons asked._

"_Because, Geoffrey, I want you all to continue what I started…" Zelda told him._

"_I don't know if we can. Geoffrey's great at tactics. Mikhail's good with archery. Zachary's great with magic and I'm…I don't know what I'm good at," the youngest son said._

"_Well, you're great with persuasion, Neo," his wife told him._

_Zelda smiled and said, "The family is in great hands…Help the Hero when he appears again…and teach all of our successors what happened 60 years ago…"_

* * *

"Zel…Zelda…Wake up."

Zelda groaned, wondering why Saria had shaken her awake. She was asleep on a cot in her tent and was comfortably covered in warm blankets.

"What?" Zelda groaned.

"Uh…Well, the guy that fainted…" Saria started.

"Yeah?" Zelda asked, waking up.

"Um…He's kinda wandering the camp, speaking gibberish. Impa told anyone who woke up not to come out…" Saria told her.

Zelda got off the cot and the two peeked out of the entrance of the tent. The blonde haired teen boy that she dreamt about did just as Saria said. He had a lost look in his red eyes and began wandering out of the camp.

The Hylian girl stepped out of the tent, with Saria whispering her dismay.

"Hey! Get back in here!" Saria whispered.

Zelda ignored her, following the boy out of the camp. Saria followed behind and grumbled.

The boy kept walking, arriving at the road that led to the Great Bridge. He stopped once he was at the road and Zelda couldn't find a place for Saria and her to hide. The teen pulled out his sword and quickly turned.

He glared at them and Zelda could've sworn she heard a snarl. The teen charged in with his sword at the ready. When he was close enough, Zelda made a twirl motion, holding her hands out as she did. That caused for the nearby snow to change into liquid water and it surrounded Saria and her. The water repelled him and he used his right hand to channel magic into his sword.

Zelda recognized it as Fire magic and made a throwing motion. The surrounding liquid water hit the opposing teen and Zelda made more hand motions. The water quickly turned into ice, freezing him in a block of ice.

Before she could relax, a blast of flames broke the ice, releasing the teen. Zelda and Saria saw him collapse and cough. He slowly got up and shook his head.

"W-Where…? What?" he said.

He looked up at the two with azure eyes and asked, "Who are you two? Where am I?"

Saria glared and a soft green light emanated from her hands. Zelda stopped her and told the teen, "I'm…I'm Zelda Gaepora. And this is Saria Arból. And you are?"

The teen got up and said, "Link. Link Hanar."

Zelda stared at him, as there weren't many who were named Link as the name was ancient and from the old tongue. Saria, however, asked, "W-Why did you attack us?"

"I did what?" Link asked.

"You attacked Saria and me. We…We were just wondering why you left the infirmary tent," Zelda told him.

Link was confused, muttering something under his breath. Zelda spotted a small glow coming from his left and noticed a triangle-shaped birthmark. She froze, realizing who and what he was.

'H-He…It can't be,' she thought.

Saria said nothing and Link asked many questions. He asked about their whereabouts, what they were and where his friends were. Saria answered most of them while Zelda kept staring at Link. Link noticed and said, "Are you okay? You're staring at me."

"Um…We…We should head back to the camp. Your friends will be worried," Zelda told him.

The trio noticed the sun rising and decided to head back. Once they were back, Impa scolded Zelda and Saria for leaving. The two explained what happened and Impa glanced at Link. She motioned for the troupe to meet in the largest of all the tents in the camp. They did and were introduced to the others in Link's troupe.

They explained what the Zoras had told them and supposedly what Link truly was. He was declared by the Zoras to be the reincarnation of the ancient Hero. Zelda was a bit skeptical, as Link looked reluctant on the whole situation.

When the conversation turned to his wellbeing, his cousin, Aryll, told the Gaepora troop of the many blackouts her cousin had. Groose and Midna added about him speaking a language that was unintelligible. Aryll told and showed the troop the Book of Mudora.

According to them, Link had confirmed what he was through the book. Zelda noticed that he was staring at the floor in silence. She then saw her birthmark weakly glowing.

The interior of the tent changed to that of an endless grassy plain. The skies were dimly lit, as if the sun was rising, and small lights floated up from the ground. Link's image changed to that of an older man in green garb with golden armor. A red cape was draped behind him and his face was that of an old, but hardened warrior.

He stood before Zelda and said, "You must make him believe what he is."

"Are…Who are you?" Zelda asked.

"You must convince him about his destiny. If not, the world will be ruined," the man said.

"Are you…? Are you he?" Zelda asked.

The man said nothing and Zelda said, "You're…the ancient hero…But…if you were reborn, then why is Link so…?"

"It would be my fault. I could not protect him from the attack on his life man years ago. He refuses what he is as…the spirit is broken. I do not know how it happened, but…he needs to accept what he is, lest he loses himself," the man told Zelda.

Zelda nodded, understanding what was going on. Remembering what happened to her ancestor, she said, "I'm sorry."

"Whatever for?" the man asked.

"My ancestor could've helped the previous Hero better, but…" Zelda started.

The man shook his head and told her, "Worry about the present."

He disappeared, taking the scenery with him. When Zelda found herself back in the tent, Link looked at her and said, "You've been staring at me for five minutes. Are you okay?"

"O-Oh. Um, y-yes," Zelda stammered.

The teen looked at Impa and asked, "Um…Can they stay for a while?"

"Well, we have to go to Faron Woods," Aryll said.

"Oh. Then can we accompany them?" Zelda asked her Sheikah guardian.

"We're supposed to head for Gerudo Desert. And I'm sure that Hilda would not approve," Impa said.

Zelda looked at her sister and pleaded with her. After several moments, Hilda told her, "We'll take them to the entrance of the forest, but no further in. Then we'll head to the desert."

The Hylian teen thanked her sister and smiled at Link. He meekly smiled back and blushed.

'Okay. So…He's back! He'll save us all! I'll complete what you started my extremely-great-grandmother!' Zelda thought.

* * *

_Okay. So, Zelda's on board with what's going on. But can she convince Link to accept his fate?_

_-miano53_


	9. Chapter Eight: Memories

"_The woods of the Farona region were home to the Forest Temple, the source of all Forest-based magic. When the Imperial Family came to power over 900 years ago, an evil power radiated from the temple, changing the forest to a dark and dangerous place. The forest turned on everyone, attacking all those who tried to enter. In one final attempt 400 years later, Emperor Ganondorf III sent troops to enter the forest in an attempt to find any human presence. When the Imperial Soldiers entered, the forest attacked with great fury, unleashing all its power. Many died and the entrance to the forest became blocked by thick vines and became petrified. Since then, it's been given the moniker the 'Lost Woods' the world over."_

_-an article in Hyrule Historia, vol. 54_

Chapter Eight: Memories

"_Don't you fool with me! Don't you fool with me!"_

"_Groose, what's wrong?"_

"_The ground's shaking and that weird roars coming from the pit!"_

"_Uh…I just sealed that thing two days ago. And the ground's not shaking and nothing roared."_

"_Oh, by the pleasant beard of the ancient Hero and the warm face of Hylia, if you can stop the shaking…!"_

"_Groose, nothing happened. You just woke up from a dream. And the old Hero never had a beard…I think."_

"_Shut it Link! Let me scream and cry!"_

"_Link, he's suffering from post-traumatic stress. The very sight of the Imprisoned caused that to many warriors under Hylia's banner long ago. And I'm sure you would remember it…"_

"_What? What…are you talking about, ma'am?"_

"_Nothing. Nothing at all."_

* * *

Link woke up, startled at the odd dream. He trembled and panted, trying to calm himself. He scanned the area, remembering that he was with his cousin, supposed guardians and the Gaepora clan.

He also remembered that he began traveling with the Gaepora caravan to the woods in the Farona region. Link didn't want to go, but had to as he couldn't go back home. Not able to go back to sleep, he left the guest's tent in only his shirt, pants and boots.

Outside, he saw that it was still dark out, despite it being early morning of January 25th. The campfires had died hours ago and the snows from a small storm covered them. Feeling warm, despite not having on his hat or vest, Link began exploring the snowy area.

Since the storm from the night before had impeded travel, the caravan stopped near an old iron gate that marked the entrance to the Farona Province. The gate had been opened, but based on the condition of the road beyond, the area fell into great disuse. From what he could see from his location, Link saw many swords and other weaponry that littered the plains.

The skeletal remains of many creatures were also present and an eerie fog hovered above them. Link could feel powerful regret coming from the old bones and shivered.

"Oh…So you see it."

Link, startled, turned to see that Zelda had found him. She looked at the area somberly and told him, "This was the final battle my ancestors had with the Evil King. The races of Hyrule all came together to in an attempt to overthrow the King of Darkness and put my ancestor back on the throne. They failed and…this is what's left. This is the reason why hardly anyone rebels against the order. They fear this will happen again as the Empire of Hyrule is too powerful."

Link glanced back at the bones and asked, "How many?"

"About 4,000 people were killed that day and only 200 monsters were slain," Zelda replied.

She then sighed and said, "I…I can't force you to follow your destiny. Only you can decide. You can decide to defeat the Imperial Family and bring back balance to the world or you can just go back home and live a normal life. But your decision will affect the world for the rest of eternity."

The teen left. Link, even more distraught, began pacing around the area, wondering what he should do. He truly wanted to live a normal life and he had no quarrel with the Imperial Family. He wanted to go back home and help his mother out with the bed and breakfast.

Link tried to make his decision when he felt a presence behind him. An odd scent filled his nostrils and he turned to his right to see that Midna had found him.

"That Zelda girl told me that you were here. Why did you leave the camp? It'll make it hard to protect you if you leave like that," she said.

"I really didn't ask for you guys to do that. Why don't you guys go home?" Link told her.

Midna's face became sullen and she said, "Groose, Makar and me are orphans. We have no home."

Link was a bit bewildered and Midna continued.

"We met in one of the orphanages in Hyrule City called Sunnyside. For years, we tried to help one another as we weren't well liked by the staff or by the other kids. Since I'm a Twili, Groose is a Gerudo and Makar's a Koriki, we're not liked," Midna said.

"But isn't the Imperial Family Gerudo?" Link asked.

"Yeah, but the Gerudo have a great divide amongst themselves. There are those who are loyal to the emperor and are very wealthy because of it and those who hate him and live outside of the city, poor and usually homeless or traveling in caravans. Groose's family was in one and they were attacked by monsters. He was the only survivor and traveled to the city for help. When he arrived, no one bothered as they knew he was poor by his clothing and speech," Midna explained.

"'Speech'?" Link asked.

Midna smirked and said, "He couldn't speak a lick of Hylian when I first met him ten years ago. He and I were six-years-old and quickly got along as I knew a bit of Gerudo. So, I taught him how to speak the language and he hasn't thanked me yet."

Link saw her grumble and asked, "So, you're a Twili. Why were you in the capital?"

"Well, my small family was a wealthy family…until my father died from illness and my mother lost everything trying to pay off his debts using incorrect knowledge. We fell into poverty and had to settle in the ghettos of the city. She tried so hard to pay off the last of his debts when she died from illness too. I was taken to the orphanage when I turned five and they didn't know what to do with me."

"So when I met Groose, it was a relief. He protected me from those who tried to harm me and I taught him how to speak Hylian. We got along and met Makar when we were about ten. He was six when he arrived at the orphanage and no one knew where he came from. He told us about a village in the woods of Farona Province called Papuchia, but none of us ever heard about it. He even told us he was a Koriki, but none of us knew what that was either."

"Because of that, he was made fun of and we protected him. When Groose and I were about twelve, we got fed up and ran away from the orphanage with Makar. The orphanage didn't bother to call the Hyrulian Guards or find us themselves as they didn't care. So, we stayed in the ghettos, taking whatever small jobs we could find to make a bit of money," Midna told him.

She fell silent, looking quite somber. Not wanting to see her sad, Link asked, "What's a 'Koriki'?"

"Makar told me that those are the people who can use powerful, forest-based magic. They supposedly live in the Lost Woods, but no one has really gone in and survived to confirm it. I thought he was lying at first. But when he began controlling the flowers the orphanage had one summer, I believed him," Midna explained.

The two became silent once more, watching the snowfall from a small snow shower. Sighing, Link asked, "So, you want me to overthrow the Imperial Family too, right?"

"Uh…Yeah. I really do. Because in my tribe, we believe that the Hero is going to return, taking the form of a proud beast once more. He will right all the wrongs done by the Evil King and restore balance," Midna said.

"But…I don't have anything against them. How can I just destroy a family like that?" Link told her.

The Twili shook her head and said, "Just because you don't have a quarrel against them doesn't mean that others don't. The Imperial Family has been going around destroying people and their livelihoods. Their policies aren't too helpful either. My family lost everything because of them. So, the sooner you overthrow the emperor, the better."

Link looked away from Midna, not knowing what to do. A stream of unknown words came from his lips and Midna was shocked.

"Since…Since when did you learn Twili?" she asked.

"What?" Link said.

"You just…said sorry in Twili. How…? The Hero never learned that…" Midna told him.

She backed away and fled.

* * *

_Later, South Hyrule Fields, 10 a.m.…_

Following the Gaepora caravan, Link's small caravan rode in the back of the wagon. Groose was the driver and Epona, surprisingly, heeded his direction. Link sat behind the driver's seat and told Groose how to control the horse. The Gerudo became fed up after several commands, yelling, "I know! I know! Will you just let me drive?"

Aryll laughed, huddling under her cover and sitting next to Makar. Midna and Makar, shivering despite having blankets covering them, chuckled.

"So, I guess you're a backseat driver," Makar said.

"I just want to make sure that he treats Epona right," Link told him.

He looked at Midna and she looked away from him, seemingly in fear. Link said nothing and Aryll commented on how much colder the air became.

"Oh…I don't like being here. I don't like being here…" Groose muttered.

"What's wrong?" Midna asked.

"Uh…Why are there so many 'skellingtons'?" Groose asked.

"The word is 'skeletons'," Makar corrected.

The group peeked outside of the wagon and Link could see that the area indeed grew darker, though it was late morning. Groose screamed as several skeletons rose up, holding the weapons they had in a previous life.

"WAAH! Evil skellingtons!" he screamed.

The Gaepora caravan sped up as well as Link's. The cart jolted, hitting a bump. Link fell back and found himself falling out of the wagon. He hit the ground and heard Aryll scream, "Link!"

Link got up and pulled out his sword and shield. The skeletons of many different races charged towards him, weapons at the ready. The teen looked around in a panic and slashed at the closest skeleton, cutting off its head.

It kept fighting, stabbing at him with a Zora's lance. Link blocked the attack with his shield and performed a spin attack. The skeleton was destroyed, but five more rose up to fight.

Link's gaze quickly shifted as he tried to target all five undead. The first to attack was the skeleton of a Goron. It punched at him and Link quickly ducked. Another undead, that of a Twili, attempted to stab him when he dodged and countered by cutting its right arm off.

An arrow flew through the air, cutting Link on his left cheek. He turned and saw skeletons in the nearby trees. Performing another spin attack, Link destroyed the five skeletons, only to have another 20 rise up.

Fearing that the battle would be endless, Link took off and ran in the direction of the caravan. The skeletons shot at him and threw their knives and lances at him. The teen dodged as many as he could; receiving cuts on his arms and legs as he did.

To his horror, a Goron skeleton rose from the dead right in front of him. It punched him in the stomach, sending him flying backwards. Link landed on the ground in front of many hostile skeletons. They surrounded him and Link could only think of the worse.

'Is this…Is this the end? All because I don't want to be…I just wanted to live a normal life…' Link thought.

His consciousness suddenly faded as a power surge welled within him…

* * *

_Two miles near the Lost Woods…_

Aryll screamed at Groose, "We have to turn back! Turn Epona around now!"

"I ain't going back with all those 'skellingtons'!" Groose yelled.

"Groose!" Aryll pleaded.

The caravans stopped and Impa jumped out of one of the wagons.

"I'll go back with Miss Aryll to find him. But, Aryll, you must be ready to fight for your life," she said.

"I-I'm ready! I just want to rescue my cousin," Aryll told her.

"I'm going too," Midna said.

Impa shook her head.

"Why not? I am his guardian," Midna told her.

"I'm sorry, but your Twilight magic will not help in this. Those are undead creatures, unaffected by Shadow magic in any form," Impa said.

"But I can transport you to his location," Midna retorted.

The Sheikah gave in, allowing for Midna to join. Before she could teleport them, Aryll spotted Link walking towards them. He was armed with two swords instead of his usual sword and shield.

Aryll was about to run in and hug him when Impa stopped him. Others in the Gaepora caravan warned for them to go back inside the wagons. They were virtually ignored as Aryll, Midna, Groose and Makar stared at the odd scene twenty feet away from them.

An aura of harsh blue came from Link's person and his azure eyes had a faint glow in them. Impa looked at the others and said, "I hope you're ready to fight, because he's not himself anymore."

"What?" Aryll said.

She saw Link smirk and he suddenly disappeared. He reappeared behind the five and attacked with a spin attack, using powerful magic and both swords. The five were knocked back and Impa leapt into the air, throwing _shuriken _at him.

The teen disappeared once more, reappearing in the air behind Impa. Yelling something in Labrynnan, he summoned lightning to his blades. He attacked Impa and she blocked with her_ kodachi_. The surge of energy that came from the two caused a massive shockwave.

Aryll and the others ducked, hitting the ground. She looked up once again to see that Impa and Link had landed on the ground, fighting even harder than before. Link swiped at her horizontally, then vertically and attempted to stab at her with both blades. Impa gracefully dodged each attack and kicked the blade in his right hand out of it.

Link retaliated by blasting the Sheikah with a bolt of electricity. She was pushed back and Aryll heard Zelda gasp. Link charged in for the kill when Aryll got up to protect Impa.

As he charged in with his single blade, Aryll held her shield up.

'Please, let Link come back to himself,' Aryll thought, praying.

She closed her eyes, expecting the worse.

"Gah!" she heard Link yell.

Aryll opened her eyes and saw that Zelda had repelled him with a barrier of light. The aura died and the two saw that Link had summoned a sword in his right hand. Zelda looked at Aryll and asked, "Are you sure you want to fight your cousin?"

"Uh huh. We gotta snap him out of this, right?" Aryll told her.

"Yes. Let's hope we can beat him," Zelda said.

"Not without us!"

The duo saw Makar, Groose and Midna running to their aid. The three went into their battle stances, despite their being unarmed.

"But…!" Aryll said.

"We're his guardians, right?" Groose asked.

"Yeah," Aryll said.

"Then we have an obligation to help him, even though he's trying to kill us," Makar told her.

"But you guys aren't armed!" Aryll yelled.

"Makar and I know magic and Groose knows how to fight unarmed. We'll be fine," Midna stated.

"Here he comes!" Zelda told the group.

Link charged in with both blades at the ready. He slashed at Zelda, who dodged and leapt out of the way. Makar jumped to Link's left and a gale of wind came from his hands. Link was pushed back and Zelda shot at arrow of light.

He blocked the attack and swiped at her. An arc of electricity came from it and was blocked by a shadow barrier Midna summoned. With several kicking motions, Midna summoned arcs of shadow to attack Link. He dodged each attack and jumped into the air.

The teen then held both swords in the air, yelling something in Labrynnan. Powerful light came from the blades and he swung the magical energy downward. The five looked as the column of light came straight towards them.

Aryll glanced at Zelda and saw that she had summoned a rapier of light. With several cutting motions, Zelda chanted, "_Light Spirits of Hyrule, protect us now!_"

Swords of light appeared around and above the two caravans. Link's attack bounced off the barrier and was directed at a far side of Hyrule Field. The ensuing explosion shocked Aryll, as she didn't know that her cousin was so powerful.

'He's…this powerful?' she thought.

The barrier died and Link stood on terra firma before them. He glared at Zelda and Midna. In a voice that wasn't his and speaking Labrynnan, he began yelling at them.

Zelda was confused and muttered, "Uh…He's mad at us for protecting Impa."

"What? Why?" Midna asked.

Link said nothing and charged in again. He attacked Groose first, who ducked and punched Link in the stomach. He staggered back and Groose tried punching him in the face. Link dodged and retaliated by hitting Groose in the face with the back of his left blade.

Groose fainted and Makar jumped in front of him. He blasted Link with another gale of wind, sending him into the trees. To their surprise, the hibernating tree came to life and grabbed Link with its branches.

The tired remaining four looked behind them and saw Saria. She, making hand motions that were usually used in commanding water, began controlling the tree. The branches wrapped around Link's wrists, forcing him to release his swords. He began yelling and screaming angrily in Labrynnan and the tree had him firmly in its branches.

As if knowing he couldn't escape, Link closed his glowing azure eyes and calmed himself. Aryll saw that he was motioning his fingers and the snows began heeding his silent command. Zelda noticed as well and began making twirl motions with her entire body. Saria joined her and the snows turned into water.

The two then made a punching motion towards Link and the water hit the tree, turning into ice. To their surprise, he wasn't there and appeared at the tree's base. He smirked and shrugged.

Translating, Zelda said, "Well…He's surprised at us…He thought we wouldn't last as long as we did."

"What…?" Aryll asked.

"And…He's thanking us for…giving him a good…warm-up?" Zelda said in bewilderment.

"What…What kind of warm-up was that?" Makar yelled.

Link laughed and said in broken Hylian with a thick Labrynnan accent, "You…win. I…give. Protect that…Sheikah."

The aura surrounding his person died as well as the glow in his eyes. Link grabbed his head and said, "What…? Why are you guys on the ground?"

'He remembers nothing? What is going on here? I don't think that was the Hero's Spirit…' Aryll thought.

"It was, but at the same time it wasn't."

Impa had recovered and was slowly getting herself off the ground. The Gaepora clan members helped in reviving Groose, surrounded Zelda and Hilda told everyone, "We must leave. After that explosion, I'm sure that the Imperials will be coming soon."

The two caravans looked at Link and Impa said, "The spirit is no longer restless...for now. Do not worry. But we must keep these two apart for the time being."

The Gaepora clan separated Zelda and Saria from Link's group and entered their caravan. They rode off, heading west. Aryll and the others looked at Link and he said, "Um…What…What happened?"

"We'll explain when we enter the Lost Woods," Midna said, not trusting him.

With trepidation, the group reentered the wagon and rode closer to the woods. Once they were 50 feet away from the forest, Epona stopped and refused to go any further. Not able to force her to go, the group left the wagon.

The entrance to the Lost Woods was covered in spikey, petrified thorns and vines. The trees looked menacing and unwelcoming. A dark cloud covered the forest and mist seeped out from underneath.

Link walked forward and Aryll could see a faint glow coming from his left hand. The petrified vines moved, creating an entrance into the forest. Link looked back at the group and said, "Um…I guess we can go in."

The five entered the forest and the vines closed behind them, locking them in the area.

* * *

_Thanks again to everyone who gave this story a chance and is reading it. So, what was with Link attacking his allies like that? Stay tuned…_


End file.
